Chapter 15

After shooting for a while at my own pace, Lydia came from the house.

"Good morning, Hashira."

"…Good morning, Lydia."

Perhaps because it had been a while since I had greeted a normal person, my reaction was a bit slow.

It was just a casual greeting, but it was nice to exchange pleasantries properly in the morning.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, the leaves were fluffy, and the green deer's fur was warm, so I slept soundly. Still, there's a shooting range here, huh?"

Lydia looked around with interest.

She seemed a bit restless, as if she wanted to shoot.

Come to think of it, Lydia had a bow and arrows in her luggage.

"Would you like to try shooting, Lydia?"

"I'd like to, but my bow has a crack in it…"

I hadn't checked it much, but it seemed to have been damaged in battle.

"Would you like to use my bow? It's not the best, but it's homemade."

"Really? Thank you!"

Lydia took the bow and arrows happily, apparently eager to shoot.

"It's a bit rough, but it has a nice shape. I should be able to shoot well with this."

Lydia examined the bow and arrows closely, then plucked the string and said:

It seemed to be of decent quality, which was a relief.

Lydia drew the bow with fluid movements.

Her profile looked even more beautiful than usual.

While I was admiring her, Lydia quickly released an arrow.

Unlike me, she didn't take much time to aim.

The arrow Lydia released sliced through the air and pierced the center of the target.

"Hmm, that's a habit of yours..."

Lydia muttered, sounding a bit dissatisfied, and immediately fired a second arrow.

It hit the dead center.

Unlike me, she was both accurate and fast. The sound of the arrow slicing through the air was completely different.

Using the same bow and arrows, the difference was significant. She was definitely better than Lent.

"Wow, impressive—"

Thwack, thwack, thwack!

While I was saying that, Lydia fired rapidly, planting arrows in the center of the target.

...It felt like she was beyond just being good. She even shot two arrows simultaneously at the end. How does she do that?

"You're really good with a bow."

"Well, I haven't used it for a long time. For an elf who's good with a bow, this is easy."

It must be a skill honed over centuries of experience.

But with such a skilled teacher, I feel like my archery will improve.

I said it was fun even if I didn't hit the target, but hitting it is definitely more enjoyable.

I want to get better at hitting the target.

"Lydia, can you teach me how to use a bow? I'm not very good at hitting the target."

"Sure. Show me what you can do first."

When I asked, she readily agreed.

I took the bow back from Lydia and drew it as I had before.

I aimed at the distant target and released the arrow, but it didn't hit.

"It's like this."

"It's worse than I thought."

Lydia's harsh words slipped out casually.

I knew it, but it still stung to hear it from someone else.

"What specifically?"

"Everything. First, your stance is wrong."

Lydia approached me.

"Let's start with your stance. Keep your body straight and improve your posture."

I tried to improve my posture as Lydia suggested, but it was still not good enough, so she corrected me directly.

"Then, when you nock the arrow, don't overextend or overbend your elbow."

"Like this?"

"Too extended. And keep the arrow more level."

Frustrated by my slow learning, Lydia moved behind me and corrected me in a hugging-like position.

Her sweet scent made my heart race, but she was teaching me very seriously, so I didn't want to lose focus.

I tried to concentrate on the bow and arrow, not on Lydia.

"And release your fingers straight."

When I did as Lydia said, the arrow hit the target.

It didn't hit the center, but it was much closer.

"...I feel like I had the best shot ever."

The sensation of releasing the arrow and the sound it made were completely different.

"Your previous form was off. If you practice with this posture in mind, you should start hitting the target."

"Wow, thank you!"

Following Lydia's method, I felt like my archery would improve.

I reviewed the points she taught me—foot placement, body orientation, and stability—and tried shooting again.

However, the arrow passed above the target.

"I guess I can't get good at it right away."

"Your mind was on your body, and the arrow wasn't level."

I had to pay attention to both my body and the arrow. It was quite difficult to do both properly.

While I was struggling, Lent was shooting from a distance.

He must have heard Lydia's advice, as his form was solid.

"Gaia Note... I mean, Lent is doing it too. And he's better than Hashira."

Damn, Lent. You're always ahead of me.

Even though I don't want to compete, it's frustrating to see someone close to me improve so quickly.

◆

"Hey, Hashira. Can you show me around a bit?"

After finishing our morning routine and breakfast, Lydia said.

In this case, "outside" probably means the forest, not just around the house.

"Sure, but why?"

"I was attacked by a monster as soon as I entered the forest, so I didn't get to see much. But with Lent and Hashira, it seems safe."

Is this forest really that dangerous that you get attacked right away?

There are various monsters, but I don't remember being attacked like that. Maybe it's because of Lent, the Gaia Note.

Honestly, I wanted Lydia to rest after just one day, but I knew she wasn't the type to sit still.

I'm not particularly strong, but with Lent, it should be safe.

Even if we encounter something Lent can't handle, my abilities are well-suited to the forest, so I can at least escape.

"Alright. Let's go to the forest then."

"Of course, Hashira! You're so quick to agree, thank you."

Lydia said happily, probably excited about exploring the forest.

"Can I borrow the bow and arrows you lent me this morning?"

"Sure, but don't overdo it. You were injured until yesterday."

I think a weapon is necessary for self-defense, but Lydia's enthusiasm made it clear she wanted to hunt small game.

"I know, I know. Come on, let's go!"

After warning her, Lydia went outside as if to avoid the issue.

Well, a bit of exercise should be fine, but if she overexerts herself, I'll have to restrain her or have Lent take her back.

It's an unusual start to the day, but it's not bad.

Thank you for reading.

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