Chapter 272: Where Is the Archer?

Only one person was shooting the arrows, so Rudolf and I could split up and close in. Sooner or later the other side would get impatient and come out. But what if—just what if—the person shooting these arrows had pointed ears? Blond hair, blue eyes, long hair parted in the middle, and the name Legolas? What if even after a close win they casually blustered "That was nothing"? Or a name like Orlando?

I shouldn’t get too worked up by myself! I knew from past experience that imaginings like that were sure to be shattered. Expecting too much was no good.

Arrows flew. But the power seemed lower than before? Could it be that mana rode on the arrows, and the degree of mana made the power extra-extra? Then was the interval for charging mana? Three shots came at me in a row, but now I could dodge them easily. Then three more in rapid succession at Rudolf. He didn’t fall back; he took them. The pressure had weakened. But was the accumulated damage about to put a hole in the shield? Then three more at me; I dodged calmly. In that interval Rudolf advanced with a zuzuu—! About ten meters left! It already felt like Rudolf was right in front of them. They must be panicking!

I ran! Lit from below by the light. The spectators under the roof should have no idea what was happening above. The spectators in the opposite wing could see it very well, though. The light-novel staple of making a huge screen with magic and projecting an image didn’t exist here. Necessity is the mother of invention, so maybe it would appear someday.

Before I could finish that thought I was almost at the spire when an arrow flew. I dodged and leapt. The goal was the top of the spire! The time spent moving through the air was long. I thought time was moving this slowly. Arrows came. I dodged the first two, but I couldn’t fully dodge the last one. I took it with my left hand.

"Gyaa?!"

It huuuurt—!! Then time suddenly sped up and I landed on the roof. At least an arrow wouldn’t punch through the roof and keep flying. My hand was tingling. Adrenaline was pouring out so it was still only this much, but I could imagine it would hurt enough later that I wouldn’t be able to sleep. It huuurts?!

What now? Dive into the spire as I was? Someone seemed to be shouting inside the spire? Lights were on me, the spire, and Rudolf and the others, bright enough to dazzle. When Rudolf inched closer, an arrow finally pierced the shield. Bad! I had to do something, something—?!

Eeeeei! I smashed the spire’s roof with my sword using raw strength! Gan! gan! gan!! After three blows the wooden roof broke and I could see inside the spire. What a fragile roof!! I kept hitting without caring if it broke. Part of the roof fell inward. No arrows flew at me from inside.

"Uooooh—!!"

Rudolf charged with the shield and all. No more arrows would fly. In close combat a bow and arrows became a useless weapon. Rudolf slammed into a pillar supporting the spire’s roof, shield and all. An incredible shock hit me on top of the roof!!

With a guwah! and the impact the spire’s roof tilted and fell onto the mansion’s roof. I came down onto the mansion’s roof together with the spire’s roof. Lily was already inside the spire. One woman and two men had both hands raised. Was that the signal of surrender? A splendid bow lay at the woman’s feet.

The woman was young—about twenty? Given Lily’s example I shouldn’t judge by appearance, but she almost certainly hadn’t drunk the rejuvenation medicine, so my estimate shouldn’t be far off. A slender beauty sandwiched between two grimy big men... she wasn’t a handsome elf, but there was something quite stirring about her!

As if to interrupt the world I was soaking in, Rudolf emerged from the collapsed spire roof with a gasa. The shield in his hand no longer kept its original shape. Rubble fell from the roof below.

"To lose to a child like this!"

The woman said it with frustration. This was the moment to spit peh, but I didn’t.

"This person was shooting the arrows."

When Lily said that the woman nodded. This slender-built older sister (including chest and hips) had been shooting those arrows? I didn’t think she had the muscle strength?

"Amazing. Was it really this onee-san?"

"That’s right,"

Lily said, and the older sister also said:

"Yes. It was me."

and puffed out her chest. The height of the twin hills was low. Hills, not mountains. I had wanted her to say atai there, but still—

"So the threat of the arrows has finally been removed."

"Yes."

we said, but Rudolf seemed exhausted and couldn’t stand. He remained sitting and couldn’t even speak.

"Rudolf, are you all right?"

"Of course. This much is nothing!"

he said, but the bluster was obvious. For one thing, I had never seen Rudolf sit in front of me before.

"Rudolf, you watch these three here. Lily and I will go down and settle it!"

When I declared it loudly Rudolf grumbled:

"What, this much! I can still..."

and tried to stand, but his knees were shaking and he staggered. Lily and I supported Rudolf’s body and pushed him into the spire. It was half-destroyed so it looked cramped for four people. When I took the older sister’s bow:

"That’s mine!"

She glared at me with considerable force, so I said:

"Huh? Isn’t this kind of thing the victor’s spoils? Nice bow! It looks really easy to draw!"

"Hey! Stop!!"

The older sister moved to take the bow from me, but Lily put a sword to her neck and she stopped.

When I took the bow in hand I felt as if mana was being sucked into it. When I felt the sucking of mana end I nocked it and tried drawing the string. Nnn? A ring like a sight appeared ahead. What was this? A magic tool? Surprised, I looked at the older sister’s face and she turned away with a pui.

"Lily, give me an arrow."

Lily handed me one. I nocked it and drew the string—the arrow bari! burst.

"See?! The arrows used with that bow have to be specially reinforced arrows."

The older sister said it proudly.

"Are there no more arrows left?"

"None. I shot them all. Toward the end only weak arrows were left, so mana barely rode on them and there was no power. And my mana was about to run out too. That was the limit."

The older sister explained with a look of regret.

"I see. Then maybe I’ll take this bow and study it?"

I said it as a joke, but:

"No way! That isn’t allowed! There’s no way that’s all right!!"

The older sister flew into a rage. And on top of that a voice said:

"Lord Robbie, you mustn’t."

Looking toward the voice I found Knight Commander Lothar from earlier.

"So it’s no good after all?"

"That’s no good. If taking things were allowed, there would be no limit to what you could take. If there were a treasure sword and you used it and then pocketed it, that would be fine too, wouldn’t it?"

I didn’t fully understand, but no meant no.

Then Knight Commander Lothar said:

"Please return below quickly. Everyone is waiting eagerly."

When I looked down at his words, everyone was looking up.

Yes, yes, I’m coming now.