Chapter 46

The shooting range that the older sister took me to was an outdoor facility with boxes lined up like lanes in a batting center.

“I’m Rouge. Is this your first time touching a bow?”

“Yes, it’s my first time!”

I answered honestly.

“If it’s your first time, I recommend this shortbow called the ‘Lago Bow.’ It’s made from the Lago tree, which has a simple, traditional structure. The wood has a mysterious property, being stiff on the outside and flexible on the inside, making it ideal for bows. The string is made from the tendons of a creature called a Pupi. It’s relatively inexpensive, and while its performance is lower than composite bows made from multiple materials, it’s easy to maintain, which is a plus point.

Can you use body enhancement magic?”

When I nodded, Rouge took me to a lane where the target was about 50 meters away.

The lane at the far end had a target over 300 meters away, and a burly man was drawing a huge bow while peering through a sight.

“The Lago Bow comes in five strength patterns. Let’s start with the lightest one. This one has an effective range of 50 meters and a maximum flight distance of 150 meters.”

I asked Rouge about the basic things like how to hold and aim the bow, and how to nock the arrow, then I tried shooting.

The arrow hit the target, but it was quite a bit below the center.

“Oh, really your first time? You have a good sense. And you’re stronger than I thought.”

Even if it was just flattery, I felt a bit happy being praised.

“You drew it so easily. Can you try the fourth one? This one has an effective range of 90 meters and a maximum flight distance of 270 meters.”

I took another Lago Bow from Rouge.

Indeed, the grip was thicker and more solid than the previous one.

I recalled the trajectory from when I drew the first one and the effective range of 90 meters, and adjusted my aim slightly above the target before drawing the bow.

The arrow grazed the top of the target.

“...Are you perhaps a student at the Royal Academy?”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, I hesitated about how to answer.

It felt wrong to give a fake name to this nice older sister who I might want to consult with in the future. On the other hand, I had just given a fake name to the deputy manager, and revealing my real name might cause problems later...

While I was thinking about this, Rouge smiled.

“Haha, it’s a big deal, but there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Is there some reason?”

“...I just came from the countryside, and I’m not used to being treated specially as a Royal Academy student. So, I’d be happy if you could treat me like a regular customer. By the way, how did you know?”

Hearing my answer, Rouge laughed.

“Usually, people are happy about special treatment and brag about it everywhere. But you, at your age, have such an outstanding sense for body enhancement. Drawing a bow with body enhancement is quite difficult, you know? If the output isn’t stable, the grip wobbles and the aim goes off to the sides. This place is close to the Royal Academy, so I thought it was likely.”

Indeed, controlling magic power at high output is difficult. For a young boy with a small amount of magic power, it would be hard to draw a bow and aim precisely.

“My name is Allen. ...But please call me Pork. I introduced myself to the deputy manager as Pork just now.”

Rouge burst out laughing at my confession.

“Lund isn’t a bad person. The branch manager is stubborn and dislikes the haughty Royal Academy students, so Lund is always pushed into dealing with them. Oh, keep this conversation between us.”

She winked and put a finger to her lips, and I smiled wryly.

But since the name Allen didn’t seem to ring any bells, I felt a bit relieved.

“Well, I think you could handle the Lago Bow 5 even as a beginner. But what do you want to do? I thought you didn’t have money because you were flipping through the price tags so desperately. But if you’re a Royal Academy student, you can get a loan with almost no interest up to a considerable amount. You could consider more advanced bows.”

A loan...

I have confidence in paying it back, but as someone who still can’t shake off my Japanese sensibilities, it’s not a method I particularly want to use.

I decided to consult with Rouge.

“What do you think I should do? As you can see, I’m a complete novice who just registered as an explorer and has no knowledge to make a judgment. Personally, I’d like to improve my equipment gradually by earning money rather than using a loan.”

Hearing my words, Rouge visibly brightened.

“Oh, that’s commendable. Many Royal Academy students rely on their financial power and focus on the form, mistaking the performance of their weapons for their own skills. Personally, I recommend starting with the Lago Bow 5, which has no quirks, to hone your basic skills. Go ahead and try it. The effective range is 100 meters.”

I took the bow, drew it carefully, and shot the arrow. The arrow hit just above the center of the target.

“Excellent! Your sense is truly unbelievable. You’re already quite proficient.”

Encouraged by her words, I asked Rouge if I could shoot one more.

Rouge’s words about “honing basic skills”...

The strength of the arrow depends on the bow’s performance.

So, I should focus on improving accuracy and rapid shooting...

I took an arrow from Rouge, quickly nocked it, and, in an instant, reproduced the body enhancement output from earlier while slightly adjusting my aim downward. Just like when practicing sword swings, I eliminated the residual body enhancement as soon as I released the arrow and watched it fly with a calm mind.

This time, the arrow hit the dead center of the target.

Rouge’s eyes widened in exaggerated surprise, as if she had seen something unbelievable.

I knew she was partly putting on a show to make me feel good, but it was still nice to see her so surprised.

And the exhilaration of the arrow hitting the target...

I was completely captivated by the bow.

◆

“Can you really be called a genius...”

When I told Rouge I would buy the Lago Bow 5, she said this with a serious face, trying to provoke me.

I had only intended to look around, but that’s fine.

Because the bow is fun.

The rest is up to the wind.

“No matter how much you provoke me, nothing will come of it. I hit a stationary target in a facility with almost no wind. I know I still have a long way to go. I have a budget of 1500 reals left, and I need to buy a minimum of a disassembly knife, a leather chest plate, and storage bags to bring back materials. Oh, how many arrows should I buy?”

The Lago Bow cost 1000 reals, leaving me with a budget of 1500 reals.

“...You’re so calm. Royal Academy students can get as many wooden arrows with iron tips as they want for free from the academy. Storage bags are expensive if you want high performance, but you can borrow ordinary ones from the Explorers’ Guild based on the job. Why don’t you consider that?”

What a surprise!

Free arrow resupply is a pleasant surprise. This means I can practice as much as I want without worrying about running costs.

If storage bags can be rented for the time being, that’s fine.

The only things left are the knife and chest plate...

“Do you have a disassembly knife from ‘Zaimler Co.’? A senior I respect seems to use a custom-made knife from there...”

Hearing my words, Rouge made a difficult face.

“Hmm, we do have ready-made ones, but they’re a bit out of your budget. The cheapest starts at 10,000 reals. Custom-made ones can be even more expensive.”

I thought it might not be that special because the senior, Rio, was roasting meat on a direct flame, but...

It seems it’s a high-end product, fitting for a noble heir and a B-rank explorer.

“Understood. Can you recommend something?”

When I asked for a recommendation, Rouge smiled and said, “I’ll show you the knives. Follow me.”

On the way to the knife section, Rouge made a suggestion.

“You have classes and will be active around the capital, right? You won’t encounter very strong attribute magic creatures, so I recommend the leather chest plate for beginners that our store brand produces. It’s light, doesn’t hinder movement, and the leather can be removed from the base fabric for washing. The durability isn’t great, but it’s incredibly cheap at 500 reals. I think it will be sufficient for a while.”

“I’ll take it.”

I decided immediately. I couldn’t tell the difference anyway.

Rouge seems like a good person, so it’s better to leave it to the professional.

I don’t have enough budget to choose anyway.

“The last thing is the knife. I’ll bring you a recommendation. Can you wait a moment?”

Rouge said and disappeared into the back.

Just then, my classmates, whom I had completely forgotten about, approached.

“Hey! We were looking for you, Allen. Where were you?”

“Allen?!

So, you are Allen Lovene!”

Al, who can’t act, called out my name in front of Deputy Manager Lund, revealing my identity.

Al looked regretful, but it was too late.

...Well, I’ve mostly finished my business, so it’s fine.

Just then, Rouge came out from the back with two knives.

“Sorry for the wait. Oh, you brought friends?”

“Branch Manager!

You said you were going out?!

...You just got back, right?

Right?”

...Branch Manager?

When I looked at Rouge, she stuck out her tongue playfully.

The stubborn branch manager who dislikes Royal Academy students is herself...

The situation was getting confusing...

“Allen?

Leaving us behind and shopping with a pretty older sister, what’s this all about?”

Faye, don’t complicate things...