Chapter 60

Rina's Perspective

"Whaaat!? You slept together!?"

"Yeah."

"And you didn't do anything!?"

"......Yeah......No, we just slept normally. Isn't that obvious, Ulrika-senpai?"

"No, it's not obvious at all...... In that situation......"

After finishing the hunt with Mongrel-senpai, I returned to Regal. The results were meat and feathers. We stayed overnight, and managed to catch a few more on the way back the next day, so the results were pretty good.

Well, Mongrel-senpai didn't manage to catch anything in the end. He needs more practice.

"It's not like that between me and Mongrel-senpai......"

"......Men are usually like that, you know."

"But Ulrika-senpai isn't like that, right?"

"I'm......a bit different. But Rina, you shouldn't think all men are like Mongrel-san. You shouldn't go hunting alone with other men, okay?"

"Sure, I don't have any plans to......"

When we got back to the Artemis Clan House, Jona-san prepared the meat. Since we didn't have enough to sell to a store, we decided to eat it all together. Mongrel-senpai brought back a lot of the Crater Toads he caught himself. It felt a bit strange, even though we hunted together, we each brought back what we caught.

"Nastasha-san has prepared the bath, so go ahead and use it."

"Okay. Ah, do you want the Puffbird feathers, Ulrika-senpai? You're collecting them, right?"

"Really? Yes, I want them! Thank you, Rina! I'm making a cushion for the carriage, and with these, I'm almost done! I'll pay you later!"

"Hehe."

The Clan House is clean, smells good, and everyone is kind...... It's very comfortable. But I don't want to be a burden in this place.

I want to improve as an archer and support everyone. It might be a bit too ambitious, but Mongrel-senpai seems like he would cheer me on even if I'm like this.

Someday, I'll definitely become a proper Guild member.

I'll hone my archery skills, get stronger...... and grow a bit taller, and have bigger breasts like Mileine-san......

"That washboard is really good. It's simple but easy to use, and it cleans dirt off well."

"Jona-san thinks so too? It was a good purchase. Ulrika bought it somewhere."

"Oh, the one with the ridges? I've seen a lot of inns using them outside lately."

"Yeah, I saw it at the market and bought it. The general stores are starting to copy it, so it might get cheaper, but I'm glad I bought it early."

"Convenient tools are worth a bit more. Thank you, Ulrika."

"Hehe, I'm glad you like it."

Dinner was a group meal. The porridge included the meat from the Puffbird I caught, and it was delicious. A meal with just meat is luxurious, but it doesn't feel like a proper meal without porridge.

"Rina, how was the night camp? Were there any monsters?"

"It was safe, Nastasha-san. We burned incense, and Mongrel-senpai secured the area well."

Around the small tent, we had driven long branches into the ground, and the fire from the wood stove burned longer than I expected, providing a bit of light around the camp. I think Mongrel-senpai probably woke up a few times during the night to add more wood......

"But it's scary to be just two people if something happens......"

"True. Whether it's people or monsters, you need four to handle a night attack. You also need more people to set up the camp."

"It's tough with just two people. I did it a few times when I was young, but I was too scared to sleep at night!"

I guess that's true. Maybe I could sleep because Mongrel-senpai was there.

I probably wouldn't have felt as safe with anyone else......

"Rina, you've grown up to be able to handle a small night camp...... I'm so proud of you."

"I'm already an adult."

"I know, I know. ......Hey, Rina, I was thinking about this after you learn one more skill. Isn't it time to take the Silver Rank test? Sheina Leader?"

"......Rina's promotion, huh."

"Is it time already?"

"Rina already has the skills. Her thinking and knowledge are better than most Silver 1s, and there's no reason to hold back."

Silver 1...... A rank above Mongrel-senpai......

But that's just because he's weird......

Still, it's a bit disappointing. I wish Mongrel-senpai could be promoted with me......

But if I become a Silver Rank, the rewards will increase, and I'll have more job opportunities. Most importantly, I'll be able to hunt more types of monsters!

There's no reason to refuse this promotion as a Guild member!

"I'll work hard!"

"No, you don't have to take it yet."

"What! Why not!?"

"That's right, Leader. Rina is a better shot than me."

"One more skill. That's the absolute condition. No matter how good your aim is, being just a 'Sight' is tough for an archer. Without more trajectory or strong attack skills, it's hard to coordinate with others."

"Ugh......Sheina-senpai is right......"

Indeed, with my current skills, I can't take down big prey. It's only possible with everyone's help.

Even when we took down the Ogre, it was because everyone was there to aim for the eyes.

"......I want to learn skills like Ulrika-senpai's, like Weak Point Analysis or Strong Shot next time."

"Her skills are really convenient. I wanted those two too."

"Hehe. They are convenient, but they do use up a lot of arrows."

Ulrika-senpai has both the skill to visualize a creature's weak points and the skill to increase the power of her arrows. Thanks to these, she can always aim for the right spot no matter what state the monster is in, and she has the power to knock them back if they get too close.

Mine are a bit too subtle......

"But Rina is a careful shooter...... I don't think you'll get the same skills as me."

"Waaah."

"Hehe. Skills are gained based on a person's character and their past experiences. Rina might get a trajectory skill."

"......I want to get a new skill as soon as possible and become a Silver Rank. I hope it's a convenient one......"

Trajectory skills...... Skills that stabilize the arrow's path or increase its range.

They're not bad...... But I want to take down big prey too......

It seems I should be able to get a new skill soon, maybe in summer or fall.

It's exciting and a bit scary......