Chapter 19

"Oink! Oink!"

A black boar charged forward.

It seemed to be a Nigmu Boar, a type of magical beast.

"Shoot, Abel!"

Father shouted, but my fingers trembled, and I couldn't steady my aim.

"W-Well, you can't just tell me to shoot! You can't just tell me to shoot!"

Shooting a charging boar—do they think we're barbarians? It's impossible, of course.

My fingers shook with fear.

Even in a normal state, I didn't think I could hit it.

If I miss, I'll have to take the boar's charge with my body.

With my current physique, one hit would be the end of me.

"Ugh... ugh..."

I needed to pull the string a bit more to hit it with my strength.

But if it got too close, I'd lose my composure and my fingers would shake, making it impossible to aim.

It was a vicious cycle.

I just wanted to go home.

"Hey, pull it more!"

Galia, if you have time to say that, you should shoot it yourself.

I can't pull it any further.

I don't have the strength.

I'm built for maximum magic, not physical strength.

"Ah!"

In frustration, I released the arrow.

It grazed the boar's ear and flew off into the distance.

"Quick, get ready for the next shot! Don't hesitate!"

Damn it!

I don't want to come hunting anymore!

I took an arrow from the quiver on my back, nocked it, and aimed at the boar.

I pulled the string with all my might.

My muscles ached.

I really wanted to go home.

The moment my hand stopped shaking, I released the arrow.

It flew straight and pierced the boar's snout.

I did it, I hit it!

"Oink, Grrrr!"

The boar didn't stop at all.

What is that thing, a monster?

"Ah, ah, ah!"

As I turned my back to the boar, Father stepped forward and shot an arrow.

It pierced both of the boar's eyes.

"Oink!"

Seizing the opportunity when the boar faltered, Father stood in front of it and pushed the arrows in its eyes with his bare hands.

The boar convulsed and then collapsed on the spot.

...Well, I have to admit, it was a good move, but if he's going to use his hands, he should use magic.

When else is he going to use it?

When starting a fire? During a ritual?

At this rate, the chief will cry.

"Hmm, it seems Abel is still too young for this."

...Too young? I hit it, but it didn't stop. It's clear I'm not ready to face such an opponent.

Father didn't intend to have me take down the boar from the start.

He probably wanted to teach me a lesson for my reckless behavior.

Father looked smug and shook his head from side to side.

I have to be patient, I have to be patient.

I decided to let Father have his moment.

"Hey, what a wimp."

Sibyl whispered.

This kid, speaking just loud enough for me to hear.

Can you even hunt a boar?

I can't imagine Sibyl taking down a Nigmu Boar.

No, I have to be patient, I have to be patient.

I rubbed my sore arms.

From pulling the string, my muscles were screaming.

My legs were starting to tire as well.

"Excuse me, can we go home now?"

"We haven't been out hunting for even an hour."

"I've been walking for an hour. I'm really at my limit. If we keep going, it will affect my growth."

"Don't talk nonsense. Let's keep moving."

"If you don't let me go home, I'll tell Jizel that it's entirely Father's fault for not getting permission for this hunt."

"Stop it, really stop it."

Sibyl snickered at our exchange.

"You're older than me, right? I'm still fine. If you want to go home, go by yourself, you weakling."

While I responded with a forced smile, I silently vowed to get back at him in a way that wouldn't make things worse for me.

"Hey, Sibyl, don't embarrass me by acting so childish. Look at Abel's mature attitude."

"What, what, what's with Father today!"

Galia shook her head in exasperation.

Good, keep going.

"But, you should try to build up your stamina a bit more, even if it's a bit of a stretch."

Yeah... I've been mostly a shut-in until now.

If it's this intense from the first day, I don't know what I'll do from tomorrow.

My morale is already halved by Sibyl's hostility and Father's smug face.

After walking through the forest for a while longer, we heard the rustling of leaves above us.

"Hmm, a Simparrot. They're quite agile and aggressive, but they have a lot of fat and are quite delicious."

Looking up, I saw a yellow bird perched on a high branch.

It was a rather plump bird. To be honest, it reminded me a bit of Sibyl.

No wonder the branch creaked and the leaves rustled.

Its eyes were black, and it had red streaks on its body.

Its slightly curved beak and flashy appearance made it look like a fat parrot.

Are such birds really that aggressive?

Sibyl raised her hand.

"Me, me! I'll do it!"

"Go ahead."

With Galia's permission, Sibyl aimed her bow at the bird and looked at me triumphantly.

Look at the Simparrot, not me.

You might miss if you don't.

Sibyl aimed her bow upward and shot at the Simparrot.

The arrow grazed its feathers and stuck into the tree.

She missed.

I inwardly cheered.

The Simparrot twisted its head and looked in the direction the arrow came from, spotting Sibyl.

"Damn it! I've never shot from this angle before! I'll get it once I get used to it!"

Sibyl nocked another arrow and aimed at the Simparrot.

"Screech!"

The Simparrot kicked off the branch and dove straight down.

It was clearly aiming for Sibyl.

Despite its size, it was fast and aggressive.

I didn't expect a bird to charge after being shot at.

"Hey, you! Hey, you!"

Sibyl fired her second and third arrows.

The Simparrot narrowly dodged them and closed the distance.

Her fourth shot, aimed at the predicted trajectory, was deflected by the bird kicking off a branch and accelerating again.

That bird is strong.

Good, keep it up, Simparrot.

"Ah! Ah, ah!"

Her fifth and sixth arrows flew in completely wrong directions.

Sibyl was done for. She was completely falling apart.

"Once you miss the first shot with a Simparrot, it's tough. Remember that. I've even been injured before."

Galia took out a knife and tackled the trembling Sibyl out of the way, facing the Simparrot.

"But... this one is quite fast, even for a Simparrot. At this point, a knife is easier to hit with. If you miss, it will tear into your flesh, so be careful if you try it!"

If this continues, the Simparrot that avenged Sibyl will end up as tonight's dinner.

I raised my hand and pointed at the Simparrot.

"Draw... the circle"

I summoned a magic circle in the air and pointed at the Simparrot.

"Sleep"

It glowed brightly, and the Simparrot, which had been charging at Galia with its mouth open, rapidly lost momentum.

"Here it is! ...Huh?"

Galia swung wildly and embedded his knife in a nearby tree.

I walked over to him and picked up the fallen Simparrot.

It had its beak slack and was fast asleep. The magic seemed to have worked well.

"You... you can even use that kind of magic?"

"Chief said mental interference magic is the quickest for targets without resistance to magic."

I thought Father could use this level of magic, but his reaction suggested he might not be able to.

Mental interference magic is known to be difficult to control and varies greatly depending on the user's aptitude.

It's considered a higher-level magic compared to manipulating fire or moving artifacts.

Galia braced his foot against the tree trunk and pulled out his knife.

He scratched his head and chuckled.

"I appreciate the help, but... wasn't that a bit mean? Still, I didn't expect you to hit a fast-moving target with a sleep spell so quickly... Hey, Zel, maybe Abel doesn't need archery after all?"

"But, mental interference magic is highly unstable and greatly affected by mental state! We can't rely on it alone!"

That's why we practice magic, Father.

Even archery is affected by emotions. Look at Sibyl now.

"Besides, that magic doesn't have much range, does it?"

With a proper wand, the range and accuracy would be much better than a bow.

"Most importantly, archery is the pride of the Maaren tribe. It's not something to give up based on personal preference!"

Please don't say that in front of the chief.

This is more about feelings and values than logic.

Children shouldn't correct their parents' values.

Pointing it out would only cause an argument, and Father wouldn't be convinced.

It would just make me feel better, but it's best to keep quiet.

"Anyway, this hunt is to build Abel's stamina."

That's very reasonable.

There's no way to argue with that.

Father turned to me and pointed at me with his index finger.

"Didn't I tell you not to use magic? Understand, Galia and Sibyl are not here to accompany your magic practice!"

At first, Father was stunned by my magic, but as he regained his composure, his voice grew louder.

Lately, Father seems most alive when scolding me.

Maybe I should have Jizel break my spirit again.

"Sorry. I really liked this Simparrot and wanted to keep it as a pet. I didn't want to kill it... Can I keep it?"

"So you slowed it down to save my knife?"

Galia's eyes widened as he looked at his knife.

I've dug for artifacts for three days and three nights. I have more concentration than most.

My lack of strength doesn't reflect in archery, but with magic, which relies on mental focus, I can fully utilize my natural concentration.

"No, no, it was a coincidence."

"No, a coincidence... just now..."

I shifted my gaze from Galia to Father.

"So, is it okay?"

"Well, the meat of a Simparrot... Hmm, fine, but you have to take care of it."

Father seemed to want the meat, but he reluctantly gave his permission.

I really wanted to keep this Simparrot.

It moves beautifully, and I can sense a faint magical aura from it.

It could be more than just a pet.

I wanted to create a practical chimera, not just a many-headed rat or a flying chicken.