Chapter 55: The Villain's Ending is Only Death
When I arrived at the training ground, the atmosphere was chaotic, as if the knights' sword training had just ended.
Fortunately, there was no archery training, and the target area far from the sparring ground was completely empty.
I walked around the crowded knights and trudged over to that side.
It would have been faster to cut across, but I had just met with the duke.
For the time being, it was better to stay quiet and not cause any more trouble.
Finally standing in front of the target, I loaded an arrow into the crossbow and pulled the string onto the hook.
Then I tried to take aim, trusting the body's owner who had used the crossbow for a year.
"…Why is this happening?"
But even to me, the tip of the bow aimed at the target seemed unstable.
It felt light when I just held it, but when I tried to aim at something, it was heavier than I thought, and my arm trembled.
"Actually, you haven't shot this before, have you?"
Unable to bear it, I lowered my arm again and complained.
I managed to load it, but I had no idea how to hold and shoot it.
Shaking my sore wrist, I took a deep breath and lifted the crossbow again.
This time, I intended to shoot quickly before my arm started trembling again…
"You can't aim like that."
Suddenly, I felt warmth behind me.
Click—At the same time, the trembling crossbow in the air was easily supported by an outstretched hand.
I was startled and tried to turn around.
But my movement was thwarted by the solid body behind me.
Only then did I realize I was completely trapped in someone else's arms.
"Shh. You need to look forward, Master."
As I fidgeted in his embrace, Eclis whispered softly in my ear.
"The prey will run away."
I stopped moving at his words. My back was pressed firmly against his chest.
For some reason, my mouth felt dry, and I swallowed hard.
"Let go with your left hand, and with your right hand, grip the trigger and pull it close to your chest."
He moved his right hand, which was supporting the crossbow, to overlap with mine.
The back of my hand was instantly covered in a hot sensation.
But more than that, his breath on my neck was more distracting.
"Support the tiller with your left hand. Now, look at the target."
This time, his left hand gently guided mine.
With his help, my stance became much more stable.
I heard a soft chuckle near my ear.
Just as the red dot on the target seemed to blur.
Whoosh—The trigger was pulled.
When I came to my senses, the arrow was embedded in the center of the target.
The warmth that had overlapped with mine gently brushed against my hand.
The firm arms that had trapped me let go.
In the next moment, Eclis, who had been pressed against my back, neatly stepped aside.
But my hand still felt stifled and hot, as if something was covering it.
I slowly lowered the crossbow I was holding and took a deep breath.
"Are you done with your training?"
By the time I lifted my face to him, the inexplicable tickling sensation had disappeared.
Eclis looked at me with a strange expression and asked.
"How long have you been here?"
"You didn't come to find me."
His tone seemed to be complaining about why I hadn't looked for him.
His wax-like expressionless face made me chuckle.
"I wouldn't want to look bad, and if you called me during training, it wouldn't be good."
"Of course. I'm always worried about you."
At that moment, the corners of his lips twitched slightly. Then,
The rising goodwill made me feel pretty good.
I could feel my smile deepening.
"You're starting to look like a proper knight. Do you like the new training clothes?"
Clearly, they were worth the money, as the previously unkempt Eclis now looked noble.
He nodded slightly in response to my question.
Muttering casually, I turned my head away from him.
Even if he didn't like them, it wasn't my concern. I had done enough.
I lifted the crossbow again, this time taking the stance he had shown me.
It was much more stable than when I did it on my own, but it was still difficult to aim accurately.
Perhaps because I was using muscles in my arm that I rarely used, my arm started trembling again soon.
Despite my struggles, the clueless master didn't seem to notice and watched me blankly before asking.
"…Is it because of the hunting competition?"
I finally couldn't hold it and lowered the crossbow again, nodding.
I panted slightly and muttered.
"I'll win first place and treat you with the prize money."
Of course, I had no intention of really winning first place. This was purely practice to save my life.
However, a small, deflating sound came from him.
I turned to look at him sharply.
Eclis still had a dry expression, but a faint smile appeared in his gray eyes.
It felt a bit strange, as I had never seen him laugh properly.
When I asked sharply, he shook his head.
"Master, it's hard to shoot a crossbow well."
He looked down and mumbled something softly.
I couldn't hear it clearly, so I asked, "Huh? Too small, what?"
But I got a different answer.
"It's hard to withstand the recoil if you don't have the proper stance. You might strain your wrist and even crack a bone."
It was a tempting statement.
Then I wouldn't have to participate in that damned hunting competition.
Without realizing it, my true feelings slipped out. But when I saw Eclis's eyes widen, I quickly changed the subject.
"But how do you know so much about crossbows?"
I knew that at this point, Eclis hadn't formally learned martial arts.
But it was strange that he handled the bow quite skillfully.
He started to answer my question but paused. Then he corrected himself.
"…From my hometown, where archery is a basic skill."
'So Eclis's homeland is Delman.'
It was information that didn't come up in the game, so I memorized it.
What was surprising was that he, who would later become a sword master, had learned archery before swordsmanship.
"Instead of swordsmanship?"
"That's good. Then you can help me with my stance so I can win first place."
He was silent for a moment. After a long pause, he asked in a slightly hoarse voice.
I replied brightly, as if I didn't know anything. His head twitched. Then,
I smiled slyly at the significant increase in goodwill. Indeed, coming to the training ground was a hundred, a thousand times the right decision.
Eclis, who had hesitated for a moment, immediately stepped behind me and pressed close.
His arms enveloped me from both sides.
The hand that reached out from behind overlapped with mine again, lifting the crossbow to aim.
Suddenly, a sharp voice fell from the left.
In an instant, my body was roughly turned.
It wasn't by my will but by his. Eclis, sensing someone else's presence, instinctively turned and aimed the crossbow at the intruder while still holding me.
In the suddenly reversed view, I saw a black-haired man stiffen.