Chapter 11

I plucked the string of the bow I made myself, checking its feel.

Now that the crops I had been growing in the field were ready to be harvested, I no longer needed to go out every day to collect them, and my life had become a bit more relaxed.

With this extra time, I decided to spend it meaningfully and created a bow and arrows.

It wouldn't hurt to have such a weapon in an emergency, and it would also be good exercise.

In high school, I was always working part-time, but if I had joined a club, I would have wanted to join the archery club.

The memory of standing in the quiet atmosphere, wearing a hakama and shooting an arrow, is still vivid.

Now that I have a more relaxed life, I recreated the bow and arrows myself.

After confirming that the string was in good condition, I loaded the arrow I made myself.

Aiming at the target ten meters away, I released the arrow.

The arrow I shot sliced through the air but missed the center of the target, instead embedding itself in the ground five meters to the left.

"Strange? Did I make a mistake in the design of the bow? Or is the balance of the arrow off?"

I made the bow by combining a flexible, soft piece of wood with animal tendons.

It can shoot arrows properly, but it doesn't hit the target at all. In fact, it doesn't even fly straight.

Next to the target, arrows are stuck in the ground like tombstones.

If it's this off, there must be a defect in either the bow or the arrows.

Perhaps it's because I, a beginner, made it with vague knowledge?

"Rento, give it a try."

The more experimental data, the better, so I let Rento try it out as a joke.

Since it's made to fit my body, it looks like a child's toy when the tall Rento holds it.

Thinking it wouldn't hit the target because the bow and arrows are defective, I watched as Rento hit the target with his first shot.

"Huh?"

And it hit the center of the target.

In the midst of my shock, Rento calmly loaded and released the next arrow.

The arrow, released with a whoosh, hit the center of the target again.

The third and fourth arrows also hit the center of the target in the same way.

"No way. Give me the bow!"

Strange. It shouldn't fly like that if it's defective.

Could it be that Rento's strength improved the bow's performance?

I eagerly took back the bow and tried to shoot an arrow in the same way as before.

However, the arrow I shot didn't even graze the target and flew in a completely wrong direction.

Another tombstone was added.

When I shoot, I miss; when Rento shoots, he hits.

"…Could it be that I don't have a talent for archery?"

I trembled at the cruel reality that was thrust upon me.

The defect isn't in the bow and arrows; it's in my sense.

I'm surprised that I lack so much sense, especially since I made the bow and arrows myself and had always been so eager to shoot arrows.

It's frustrating that Rento can hit the target so easily while I, his master, can't.

But, thinking calmly, I'm not an archery club member, and I don't participate in competitions.

It's just a hobby to add color to my life. I should practice at my own pace without putting pressure on myself. It's fine if I'm not good from the start.

I decided to protect my heart by convincing myself of this.

Still, it's not very interesting without someone to compete against, so I decided to make another set of bow and arrows for Rento.

◆

The day after I finished making Rento's bow and arrows.

Rento and I decided to go to the lake to secure some stone materials.

While I can make tools with the power of blessing, they are all wooden.

There are also tools that can't be made of wood, like pots, so I've been making stone tools in my free time.

Recently, I've made a lot of tools needed for mixing medicine, so the stone materials have run out.

Processing stone is a night-time pastime and has become a bit of a hobby, so I want to secure a certain number of them.

So, Rento and I walked south to where there are large stones.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, we found a large stone.

When I first found it, it was about three meters in size, but it has been reduced to less than half due to my frequent cutting.

"We need to find other stones soon."

If I keep cutting, it will eventually run out. I want to find the next place to cut before that happens.

While thinking about this, I turned my divine tool into a knife and cut the stone into blocks.

Incidentally, this stone is so hard that even Rento can't break it with his punches.

Since his punches have enough power to make the ground sink, the durability of this stone must be quite high.

The knife that can cut it like tofu is still as amazing as ever.

Rento picked up the cut blocks and loaded them onto his back.

Each block is quite heavy, but for Rento, a golem, this is nothing. He piled them up on his back one by one.

"Since we're here, let's go to the stream and try to catch some fish."

We've gathered enough stone materials, but it would be a waste to go home now.

Since we've come this far, we might as well catch a few fish.

If we surround the stream with trees, we can catch them by hand in a drive fishery.

So, Rento and I moved further south to the stream.

"Well, well, are there a lot of fish?"

In the cool sound of the water, I walked along the stream looking for fish.

"Hmm? What's that?"

While walking along the stream, I saw a huddled shadow on the bank.

Could it be a monster? Or perhaps an animal came to drink water?

Approaching cautiously, I found that it was not a monster but a human figure, leaning against a fallen tree in the stream.

She had long blonde hair that reached her waist, a green linen-like outfit, a bow on her back, and a knife in a belt around her waist.

To me, who lived in modern Japan, she gave an old-fashioned, ethnic impression, but her beauty was so striking that it overshadowed everything else.

What caught my attention most was a part of her body that was similar yet different.

"…Her ears are long."

The beautiful woman's ears were long and slanted, unlike mine.

"Could she be an elf?"

Beautiful appearance and long ears are characteristics of elves, which appear in game worlds.

Elphira told me before coming to this world that there were various non-human races.

This woman perfectly matches the description of an elf.

As I was looking at the elf, she suddenly groaned in pain.

Upon closer inspection, I saw that blood was flowing from her abdomen.

"She's injured!"

She was breathing shallowly but was still alive.

I pulled her out of the stream, but she was heavier than I imagined due to her wet clothes and unconscious state.

I have some light healing ointments, but given the severity of her injuries, it would be better to use the medicine I have at home.

It's a bit rude to say this about a woman, but it's too much for me to carry her home alone.

"Rento, please carry this person. She's injured, so be gentle."

Rento carefully picked up the elf, carrying her in a princess carry.

I wish I could do it, but human life is irreplaceable.

Priority is to get her treated quickly. Naturally, the plan to catch fish is canceled.

Rento and I climbed onto the trees we had grown.

Then, we extended the trees and returned home at high speed.

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