The Villainess Should NOT Outshine the Main Protagonist!

Chapter 11: Training Day

The morning sun filtered through the dense canopy of the forest, casting a mosaic of light and shadow on the ground. Today was the anticipated training day, and as discussed with Agrippa, I found myself amidst the lower nobles' group.

As we delved deeper into the forest, led by our lead instructors, the day's challenges fell short of expectations—just a single adolescent dire wolf appeared, quickly subdued by an overzealous onslaught of spells and swords from several of my peers. The response was disproportionate, to say the least.

Amidst this, the distance maintained by my peers was obvious. As it would seem, everyone seemed to keep their distance from me, out of fear.

With a sigh, I found myself wishing aloud, "If only there were more monsters for us to face..."

"Agreed, all this effort for such small fries is pitiful. Not to mention our group formations are off balance..."

Startled I turned to the voice beside me, finding a boy with light grey hair staring at the field with a similarly displeased expression on his face.

His statement took me by surprise, not just because it echoed my own thoughts, but because it was the first time someone had directly engaged with me during this excursion.

"I'm sorry, who might you be?" I asked.

He turned to face me fully, his grey eyes reflecting a sharp intellect and a hint of amusement. "I'm Ethan," he introduced himself, extending a hand in a gesture of friendship that felt all too rare in my experiences at the academy. "Ethan Verreault, from the House of Verreault."

I remembered that house name from the game, they were a war-oriented lineage known for their strategic minds and exceptional combat skills, serving as key military advisors to the throne. There was no doubt he was at a higher level than most, perhaps a few levels below Alex.

"Evelyn Vancourt," I responded, accepting his handshake. Contrary to the firm grips of warriors, Ethan's was hesitant, almost timid, yet there was a gentleness to his presence that defied the typical Verreault reserve.

"If only they could add a rear guard we could be able to take on more monsters," Ethan continued, his gaze scanning the forest as if envisioning the formation he proposed. "A balanced formation would allow us to maximize our strengths and cover each other's weaknesses. It's basic strategy, really."

"I don't know too much about strategizing, but I think you might be right. All that is left is the lack of monsters issue..." I responded, fumbling with my pockets.

After a moment of pondering, I brought out the monster caller, a small horn I had used to level up initially.

Ethan's eyes widened in recognition, a mixture of surprise and respect flashing across his features. "You have a monster caller? Please... please don't tell me you plan to use it now."

"Don't be so worried Ethan, I'll lend a helping hand if anything gets dicey..." I reassured him.

Without a word of warning to my peers, I blew into the monster caller with a determined breath. The horn's deep, loud sound vibrated through the air, sending ripples across the forest's ambient noise. A tense silence followed, the kind that falls before a storm, as if the very forest was holding its breath in anticipation.

Ethan looked at me, a face of utter shock and concern etched on his face. "Evelyn, I hope you know what you're doing," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the growing rustle of leaves and the sudden, uneasy movements of the forest around us.

The wait wasn't long. Within moments, the underbrush began to shake, and from the shadows emerged not just one, but a variety of monsters. There were more dire wolves, their fangs bared, alongside serpentines, their scales shimmering with a dangerous beauty, and a lumbering ogre, its massive form casting a shadow that seemed to swallow the light.