Perhaps due to the completely different aura from last year when I looked like a fool.
"Didn't I tell you to go and call them? Huh?"
The maids, who seemed ready to run and fetch the guards at any moment, couldn't move at all.
In the silent forest where not even a breath could be heard.
Click... The sound of my fingers slowly searching for the trigger echoed eerily.
"L-Lady! If you do this...!"
Lady Kellin called out to me urgently.
'The mad dog of the duke's family is really going to shoot someone.'
Now, it seemed, the seriousness was finally sinking in, and the blue-haired girl's eyes, which had been calm until the end, were completely filled with fear and trembled wildly.
And, click.
A loud sound of the trigger being pulled echoed, which anyone could recognize.
"Huh...!"
When the women, including Lady Kellin, closed their eyes with pale faces.
"Bang."
I imitated the sound of a gunshot with my mouth. Of course, no bead was fired.
"Just a joke."
I smiled and lowered the crossbow I had been aiming.
"Disappointed?"
I pouted like a mischievous girl who had just played a prank and wasn't getting the reaction she wanted.
"Sniff."
I said, "I must look like a villain who came to ruin the tea party. But I was formally invited, you know."
"..."
"Isn't that right, Lady Dortea?"
When I turned to the hostess, she suddenly jumped up from her seat.
"Y-Yes, Lady!"
She quickly regained her composure and called out hurriedly.
"L-Ladies, please laugh. L-Lady is just playing a fun prank to make us laugh, right?"
But no one laughed at that prank.
"I have to go hunting now, so I'll leave first."
I slipped out from behind my chair.
Since the atmosphere had frozen because of me, it was only right for the person causing trouble to leave.
After finishing my preparations to leave, I added with a regretful expression.
"Unfortunately, I won't be able to show you how I hit the target. The bolts of my crossbow are not arrows but enchanted beads."
"..."
"I'll definitely show you next time."
Just as I was about to turn and walk away.
"Oh, right."
I stopped as if I had forgotten to say something and turned my head back to the table.
"In case you're curious about what kind of magic it is... I'll tell you specially..."
"..."
"The beads of my crossbow are enchanted to turn the targets into idiots."
I calmly lied, making eye contact with each person, starting with the main culprit.
"Thanks to someone, I haven't been able to hunt for a year, and my body is itching. I even had these beads specially made to catch a lot of prey."
I fixed my gaze on the blue-haired girl again.
I smiled and delivered the final blow.
"Of course, they won't kill you, as they are made for small animals..."
"..."
"But I'm curious if the magic would work on humans."
I turned around, using Kellin's face, which was turning pale as if she were about to faint, as a backdrop.
After finishing my threat to be careful with words, I was about to step onto the path leading to the central square when the scene suddenly brightened.
〈SYSTEM〉 Your reputation has decreased by -10. (Total: 80)
My reputation had dropped.
I pouted for a moment and then casually passed by the system window.
Unless it was directly related to my life, like affection...
I didn't care if my reputation or fame dropped drastically.
* * *
"Hey, which way is the small animal hunting area?"
I stopped a passing guard and asked for directions, then moved on to my original purpose that I had thought about in the morning.
At the entrance of the hunting ground, a fork in the road appeared, and the right path was my destination.
'What will they catch?'
With a mechanical, ash-gray gaze, I strolled down the forest path.
But the place I arrived at was nothing like the small animal hunting area I had imagined.
"What is this...?"
I looked at the endless dense trees and undergrowth in dismay.
I had naturally assumed that the servants would gather small animals in a certain area and fence them in for easy hunting.
For beginners to easily experience.
"They said even children could catch them. This is just a forest."
Indeed, it was just a forest.
No matter how thoroughly I looked around, not a single small animal could be seen.
It seemed they had only roughly set up the area, separating large and small animals at the fork.
Since parents rarely brought young children and most noblewomen didn't participate.
"Ha... What is so strange about this game?"
I grumbled and trudged down the forest path.
The only fortunate thing was that the path was well-trodden, so I wouldn't get lost.
However, even if I went deeper along the path, I doubted I could catch the agile animals running freely.
Or even spot them.
'I might as well think of this as a walk since I'm here.'
I gave up on the idea of a clean hunt and strolled along the path.
But I soon realized that giving up was premature.
'Wow! A rabbit!'
A snow-white rabbit was hopping not far away.
They must have released a lot, as there were not just one but four rabbits.
'Cute...'
In fact, I had never seen any animal other than dogs and cats in my life.
I had never been to the zoo, which others found boring.
That's why, even though I had found the prey I had been looking forward to, I couldn't immediately think of catching it.
'No! Don't go!'
While hesitating, the rabbits, sensing human presence, fled at high speed.
I felt dejected and resumed walking.
Not long after, the same thing happened again.
Squirrels, hamsters, raccoons, chickens, wildcats, and even small deer.
I kept encountering prey in the small animal area.
Sadly, I only 'encountered' them.
They quickly fled while I was looking or winding the crossbow.
'Damn... I really look like a hunting novice.'
Fortunately, I was alone.
If I had joined the hunt out of a whim to impress the duke, it would have been a disaster.
Overwhelmed by self-loathing, I walked with the crossbow ready to fire.
As I went deeper into the forest.
I found a prey I liked more than anything I had seen so far.
'Jackpot.'
It was a fox with ash-gray fur, just like Eclis's eye color.
'That's it!'
I was certain. That was the prey I had to catch and take with me today.
The ash-gray fox was drinking water by a small stream on a slope.
It was a rare species, and unlike the others, there was only one.
'I can't let it get away.'
I moved cautiously.
A tree on the slope was slightly blocking the angle I needed to aim, so I had to get closer.
Moving carefully to avoid making noise, I finally reached the tree I aimed for.
Half-hidden behind the tree trunk, I slowly turned the crank.
At that moment, the fox's ears perked up.
But it continued to lap at the water, seemingly not sensing my presence.
Click. The loading was finally complete.
I slowly raised the crossbow and aimed.
Just as the fox, leisurely drinking water, suddenly lifted its head.
And as I pulled the trigger, it started to run.
Ping!
The bead, fired by a hair's breadth, missed.
The distance between me and the fox, which had sensed the threat, began to widen instantly.
'I can't let it get away!'
Was this the feeling of a hunter who had almost caught their prey but lost it at the last moment?
I started running after the fox without thinking.
I was so frustrated at almost catching it.
'I can catch it again soon!'
Unfortunately, that was my arrogance.
The fox was incredibly fast.
It was hard to believe how such speed and stamina could come from such a small body.
I wanted to chase after it, but my weak body quickly grew tired after running for a short distance.
"Huh, huh...!"
I finally lost the fox.
But the problem wasn't the fox.
I had run deep into the forest while chasing the prey.
"Where am I...?"
Looking around, I couldn't even find the well-trodden path.
"Ha... I should find a marker first."
The forest, after all, was within the palace.
I remembered that markers were installed throughout the hunting ground to prevent getting lost.
Having completely failed at hunting, I trudged along.
Fortunately, I quickly found a piece of golden cloth tied to a tree.
"Thank goodness..."
I sighed in relief. Following this, I would either meet others or find my way out of the forest.
However, my mistake was that I couldn't remember what the color of the marker meant.
"Roar!"
Not long after, I encountered another prey.
Or rather, an animal that could be called a hunter hunting me.
"Roar!"
"Ah! What is it!"
Suddenly, a huge bear leaped out from the bushes, and I opened my mouth wide in shock.
Only then did I remember.
The golden marker indicated the area where lions and tigers were released.
At that moment.
〈SYSTEM〉 Sudden quest triggered! An enraged giant brown bear has appeared!
[Will you hunt the giant bear to lay the foundation for becoming [Queen]?]