Chapter 6

Ten meters in front of me, a wooden board is set up.

I glare at the board and draw my bow.

I pull the arrow, aim carefully, and release it.

The arrow passed by the side of the board and disappeared into the forest.

...

"Leader, you're so bad at this. This is the tenth time, you know."

"Shut up! Can you do it then?!"

I pushed the bow into Ron's hands.

The bow is really difficult.

The string is stiff, so you have to use a lot of force to pull it.

If you don't use enough force, your aim will be off.

It's not that I'm bad; the bow is just difficult!

Ron pulls the string, aims carefully, and releases the arrow.

The arrow embedded itself in the ground just in front of the board.

"Ron can't do it either. We won't be able to hunt like this. What should we do? I'm worried."

"Don't say it with such a happy face! That's not mature at all!!"

"I'm a kid, you know?"

"But you have the mind of an adult!!"

You're so noisy. The mind follows the body!!

As Ron and I were arguing, Gram took the bow from us.

He silently pulled the string and released the arrow.

The arrow hit the board perfectly.

"No way!!"

"It's funny that Gram can do it!!"

"Well, what can I say...?"

It must be a fluke. It has to be a fluke.

There's no way someone who looks like a klutz like Gram can hit the target.

"Try it again."

"Okay."

Gram nodded and took aim again.

The arrow hit the board easily.

This doesn't seem like a fluke...

"You can easily pull the string, which I find quite stiff, and hit the board, which I couldn't even graze. Are you actually good at sports?"

"Huh? Yeah... I guess..."

What do you mean, "I guess"? Have more confidence.

"Teach me the trick."

"Well... you don't pull with the bow or your arm, but with your back."

Pull with your back?

I'll have Gram show me step by step.

After that, I was able to pull the string easily.

But I didn't hit the target.

Well, it's fine. I'll leave the hunting to Gram.

"After these three years, the griffin's support will end. If that happens, we won't be able to eat meat. Whether we can eat meat or not depends on your skills. Do your best!"

I said this and patted Gram on the shoulder.

Gram nodded with a tense face.

"But we only have one bow, right? It's tough with just Gram. We need to get more."

"Alright, don't panic. I have a plan. Look at this."

"What is this? A bag?"

"It's a slingshot."

The griffin catches rabbits and other animals for us. I made this slingshot from their skins.

The structure is simple, but it took some effort.

"Use it like this."

I set a stone in the slingshot and swung my arm.

The stone flew quite far.

"With practice, you might be able to bring down birds. Plus, it's easy to make. I've already made three. If you help, we can make enough for everyone in no time."

The kids begged to try it out.

Man, being popular is tough.

---

"Alright, I caught one!! How's that! It's pretty big..."

I looked at Ron's feet.

There were five fish, each bigger than the one I just caught...

"What the hell!"

"It's just that the leader is really bad. Really."

"Don't say it twice!!"

I can't take it anymore.

"We only have two fishing rods, so it's better if someone else holds one instead of the leader."

Grrrr

That's true...

But fishing won't fill our stomachs that much.

It's not that important.

I'm not frustrated or anything!

"Whatever, I'll give it to Soyon. Let them have a romantic fishing date."

"What! What are you saying, Leader! Soyon and I aren't like that!"

Ron's face turned red.

Good, I won.

I basked in my superiority.

---

"This grass is edible. The fruit of that tree will give you diarrhea if you eat it raw, but the toxins will be removed if you soak it in water."

"Of course, Mr. Griffin. By the way, does Mr. Griffin eat anything other than meat?"

"Of course. Sometimes I feel like eating grass."

Impressive, Griffin.

He's so healthy.

Considering his upper body is that of a bird, it's not strange for him to eat fruit.

Well, birds are birds, but raptors are a bit strange.

By the way, is this creature classified as a mammal or a bird?

It doesn't matter.

"Why are you asking such questions? Aren't you supposed to be farming?"

"Farming is tough due to changes in the natural environment. Plus, I'm not that knowledgeable about it. There's a possibility of failure. So, as insurance..."

Those kids were abandoned because of a famine.

We can't be sure that the same thing won't happen to our fields.

"I see. Then I'll head back to my territory. I'm sleepy."

Griffin said this and flapped his wings.

Griffin quickly flew away.

"I'll head back too."

Just as I was about to return to the village, a scream rang out.

It's Rozward's voice!!

I started running.

I gripped the handle of the iron sword I brought for self-defense.

Any animal's face is weak.

If you hit it in the face, it will be surprised and run away.

If it gets angry and attacks, I'll try to get Rozward to escape. After all, it's a life that was supposed to be lost anyway.

As I ran, I heard multiple voices carried by the wind.

"Hey, don't move, brat!"

"Stop it!! Taking me won't do you any good. I was abandoned by my parents! They won't give you any food!!"

"You're an idiot! I know that. But you have a lot of iron swords, right?"

The attackers are humans!

Damn, showing off the iron swords was a mistake.

But they seem weaker than wolves or bears.

I feel a bit more at ease.

The time has come to put the swordsmanship I learned from the orphanage director to use.

The man and Rozward came into my view. Good, Rozward is safe. And there's only one man.

Plus, I have a position behind the man.

I took out the slingshot. Since Rozward is protected by the man's back, I can throw the stone without hitting him. I can throw it with peace of mind.

The stone from the slingshot hit the man's head perfectly.

"Ouch!"

The man let go of Rozward and clutched his head.

"Rozward!! Now's your chance!"

When I said this, Rozward ran towards me.

Come on, we need to escape quickly.

---

"Wait! Brat!!"

This is bad, they're catching up.

After all, a child's legs are no match for an adult's.

The distance is closing quickly.

"Rozward, keep running! I'll hold them off here."

"But... "

"Move!!"

When I shouted, Rozward ran away. That's good.

"You're letting your friend go and buying time, huh? That's touching. But you have a pretty face, you know."

The man grinned, holding a wooden stick.

The stick is quite thick. If hit in the wrong place, it could be fatal.

"Tell me one thing. What's your goal?"

"To take your iron swords."

"And then?"

"To trade them for food. I don't want to do farm work. And to get slaves. Though my plans have changed now that you're here."

"I see, that's a relief."

"Relief?"

"That you're a stupid and despicable person!"

I drew my iron sword and lunged at the man.

The man tried to defend with the wooden stick, but he was too slow.

My iron sword cut through the stick and into the man's flesh.

"Aaaaaah!!"

"Die!!"

I raised my sword again and stabbed his heart.

Blood spurted out.

---

"Good. You let your guard down."

In a fight, the first thing that matters is physique. Being taller gives you an advantage as you can look down on your opponent, and a larger body means more strength.

The difference in our fighting power, even considering my swordsmanship and the quality of my weapon, was significant.

But he let his guard down.

If it were a fight between amateurs, once you get close, it doesn't matter.

In fact, most murderers are not martial arts experts.

The one who stabs wins.

"I had no choice. If I let him go, he would have assaulted me. If the sword was taken, we might starve. If he learned the location of the village, more adults might come. I had to kill him. I had no choice."

I justified my actions. It was right. There was no other way.

I looked down at the body.

Immediately, a strong urge to vomit rose in me.

I vomited.

I spewed out the contents of my stomach.

"Leader!! Are you okay!!"

I heard Ron's voice.

Children with iron swords were in front of me.

Rozward also seemed fine.

"I'm fine. I'm okay."

As soon as I said this, I fainted.

---

I don't know my parents' faces.

My guardians are the teachers at the orphanage.

Sometimes, when I see a child crying and calling for their parents, I feel lonely.

I don't have the desire to meet them.

Why did my parents abandon me?

Was it because they couldn't afford to raise me?

Or was my mother a minor?

Was I a child conceived from rape?

In any case, they probably justified it to themselves, just like I did when I killed the man.

In the end, the child of a frog is a frog.

---

"Ugh... Where am I?"

"!!! Almus is awake!!"

Tetra's loud voice rang in my ears.

What's going on? It's so noisy. Let me sleep a bit more.

The children gathered around me, making a racket.

"What's the matter? Why are you in such a hurry?"

"You've been bedridden for three days."

Three days?

Why was I bedridden for so long...

Oh, right. I killed someone.

That's why I fainted.

Thinking about it doesn't make me feel nauseous.

Maybe the three days of bed rest helped my mind recover.

"Brother! Are you okay?"

Rozward looked at my face.

Brother... It sounds good.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry for worrying you."

I patted Rozward's head.

Rozward cried and threw himself into my chest.

"I was worried! I thought Brother might die because of me... So!!"

"I'm sorry. I was just tired from doing something unfamiliar. I can work again from today."

I continued to pat Rozward's head.

I wish I could be called Father...

---