Chapter 435: The Fact That I Am Marked

I was slammed into the muddy water!

I tried to complain, but

"Gobo gobo"

was all I could say, and muddy water entered from my mouth and nose.

"Buha! Goh! Geh!!"

Only things resembling words came out, and I coughed.

The two women were not caring about my unsightly state, and moreover one of them was still pressing down my head.

"Lady Konoka, what happened?"

"I felt like I heard the sound of an arrow."

"The sound of an arrow? I only heard the sound of rain?"

"A sound different from the rain, a faint shuru shuru shuru kind of sound came, so I thought it was flying this way."

"And so you slammed Lord Robbie’s head into the muddy water?"

"Kya, sorry! I just did it!"

What "just did it"! But, since I seemed to have been saved, I will not complain, I decided.

Raising my head,

"Did the arrow pass through?"

"Yes, it passed. Look."

Where Konoka pointed, there was a gap open. Was this opened because the arrow passed through, or was there originally a gap?

"I think it passed there. If Lady Konoka had not pushed Lord Robbie, the arrow might have hit."

Lily also supported Konoka’s statement. In that case,

"Konoka, thank you. You saved me."

I lowered my head and gave thanks. At that time,

"An arrow is coming!!"

Konoka shouted. I lowered my head further and the ground came in front of my eyes. This time it was just before touching the muddy water.

I felt the wind pressure of the arrow passing above my head. Konoka’s intuition is accurate! Does that mean her ears are extremely good?

"Lord Robbie, aren’t you marked? I have a feeling the enemies are aiming at Lord Robbie?"

"Now that you say it, that is true. Even though it is dark and raining, shooting arrows this accurately makes one think they can see."

Lily also agreed with Konoka’s words. Well, I had thought so too. They were aiming at me far too accurately.

"Looking with an infrared scope, aiming with that, and even if the trajectory shifts a little it automatically aims at the marked opponent..."

"Lady Konoka, what are you saying?"

Lily seemed completely lost, but of course I understood. And I was thinking, where did she get such knowledge? Blood relative? Father, older brother? Younger brother? Or a boyfriend?

"Ah, sorry, you don’t understand, right. Even if I say such things. Um, my older brother, ah, sorry. Anyway, since Lord Robbie is being targeted, wouldn’t it be better to hide your body?"

"Yes. In that case, it would be better for me to dispose of the enemies."

"Lily-san, was it? Can you do such a thing?"

"Yes, I think I can bring them down if I catch them off guard. But, why are the enemies not continuously shooting arrows?"

"Hmm, surely several people are drawing the arrows, aren’t they? If shooting long distance, it has to be a strong bow, so maybe they are drawing with multiple people?"

"Lady Konoka, you are knowledgeable?"

"Ehehe, I did a little in high school club activities. Ah, even if I say high school or club activities, you don’t understand, right?"

I understand, I understand everything. And, Konoka, aren’t you abnormally high-tension? Being at the scene of a life-or-death exchange might be elevating her.

Konoka fell silent again. It seems she is straining her ears.

"People are coming, a large number of people are coming."

"From which way?"

"Over there. Coming from the right of where the arrows are flying."

The opposite side from the Royal Capital, meaning from the forest? Could it be that because we were not coming easily, they came to search? The timing of coming would be the worst.

"If they are coming, are they allies? Have they come to search for us?"

Since Lily asked,

"Surely so."

"Then, how about using that side as a decoy and we escape?"

Lily said it in a tone of having thought of a good idea. Of course, I had thought the same. But

"If a mark has been placed on me, even if we escape it will be the same. Therefore we have to settle it here."

I said firmly. If we are fighting without escaping from here, I have to convey it clearly.

"Konoka, do you know the enemies’ position? I want to counterattack, but if it is clear I will shoot toward there?"

"Far ahead of this finger. But Lord Robbie, you’re going to shoot an arrow, right? Will it reach? It’s quite far. And you’re being aimed at the whole time."

"I’ll stand up for just an instant, and after shooting I’ll immediately crouch."

"Is that so? Will it be all right?"

"Please watch."

I took the bow out of the mana bag.

"Somehow amazing!"

Konoka praised me. Even in the dark it felt as though it was faintly glowing. Because it had been tuned up in Eisleben, was something different? Because it was darker than when I used it in front of the division head’s house, maybe the light could be seen. Was fluorescent paint applied? Or phosphorescent paint?

I nocked an arrow and prepared to shoot.

"Ah, the enemies seem to have shot arrows at the people who came from over there!"

Konoka shouted. Ooo! Attention went that way. Sorry, but become the decoy!

"Konoka, once more, tell me the enemies’ accurate position!"

"Far ahead of this way. If the arrow goes horizontally all the way it will hit."

She extended her finger straight.

"Shooting an arrow horizontally is impossible, right?"

I asked just in case.

"Of course. Arrows fly in an arc, after all. I don’t think it can be done."

Konoka said in a tone of "you can’t do it anyway, right?" Fufufu——, just watch!

I stood up, aimed, and released the arrow!! Then immediately crouched. Holding my breath, I waited to see if a counterattack would come.

"Ah! Somehow, it seems to have hit? The enemies are making a fuss."

Konoka’s hell ears are convenient——!

"Does it seem like they will counterattack?"

When I asked, Konoka shook her head,

"Hmm—— maybe it’s all right? They’re confused between people trying to shoot arrows this way and trying to deal with the people coming from over there, maybe? Until just now the enemies were all silent, but now that Lord Robbie’s arrow hit, everyone is making some kind of fuss."

"Then, one more!"

Saying that, I shot the same way. Thanks to the skill, it flew almost horizontally. I also shot while concentrating on giving it buoyancy. Konoka has hell ears, but she does not seem to have clairvoyance, and she cannot see how the arrow I shot flew. Because she gives no reaction.

"Ah! It seems to have hit! They’re making more of a fuss than before! Somehow, amazing! One more time, shoot one more time!"

Because Konoka begged, I stood up as told and shot an arrow!