Chapter 98: No Favoritism (4)

Leaving the mercenary group behind, Arwin and I spurred our horses on.

We galloped at our own pace, independent of the procession.

Pushing through grass untouched by others, we advanced.

Straying from the set path bestowed a sense of freedom.

And it seemed I wasn’t the only one to feel it.

Looking over at Arwin, her smile never faded.

Perhaps it was because she had been confined to one place for so long time.

This freedom must have pleased her.

I had somewhat anticipated this.

For her, who loved to travel and craved freedom, nothing could be better than this.

Moreover, it was time to test the archery skills she had honed over time.

And incidentally, to practice the act of taking life.

After all, she would be the one to live in this world long after I was gone.

Teaching her such things could not be wrong.

It was, in a way, my duty as her husband.

Was Arwin ready to take a life?

At first, the thought was more repugnant than one could imagine.

But then again, if she couldn’t do it, there was no need to insist on teaching her today.

Above all, spending time with her was what mattered more.

Regardless of the reason, not giving time to Arwin would have hurt her feelings.

“...”

I quietly glanced at Arwin’s profile...

And couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

Teaching something to an elf.

Such a unique experience was rare in itself.

****

We tethered our horses to a tree and dismounted.

I put on my sword and slung my bow across my back.

I didn’t forget the arrows and quiver.

Arwin, on the other hand, only carried her bow.

“Let’s go.”

At my words, Arwin nodded her head.

I took a moment to assess our surroundings.

The weather wasn’t particularly clear, suggesting night might fall early.

Perhaps we would need to end our hunt sooner and return.

Nonetheless, we began to venture into the forest.

The calls of birds echoing around us and the crisp air of the woods welcomed us.

Arwin seemed either unfamiliar with such an expansive forest or just intrigued by the novelty of a new woodland, looking around curiously.

Then, she asked me a question.

“Berg, what are we hunting?”

“Whatever we come across. Let’s just catch one for now.”

“...Not just anything, you must have some expectations?”

Her question was laced with an eagerness akin to a child’s impatience for the future.

I couldn’t be certain. It might be the tension of ending one’s life.

Regardless, it was clear she felt a spark of interest.

I shrugged my shoulders.

The fun would be saved for her to discover later.

.

.

.

We wandered the forest for quite some time.

Lightly exchanging this and that story, we enjoyed a bit of deviation.

Of course, it wasn’t just wandering.

Following various tracks, we were gradually closing in on our prey.

As expected, deer, rabbits, and wild boars were likely candidates.

Even as I conversed with Arwin, I kept a steady watch around us.

“Arwin, do you think you can catch it if the prey appears?”

“I’ve practiced a lot, you know.”

“...That’s not what I mean.”

“Berg, look at this...!”

But Arwin wasn’t as focused on the hunt as I was.

Every so often, she would stop in her tracks, exclaiming over a flower blooming haphazardly.

“It’s a morning glory...!”

Where she had put away that usually cold expression, I couldn’t tell.

She was showing me more and more of her different faces.

“Is this your first time seeing one?”

When I matched her mood and asked, Arwin nodded vigorously.

“Yes. They don’t grow in the Celebrien estate... I’ve only seen them in books.”

“...”

“...So this is what they look like in reality.”

Arwin murmured as she looked at the morning glory.

I wondered what it felt like to see with her own eyes what she had only seen in books for 170 years.

I couldn’t possibly know.

All I was sure of was a vague sense of compassion for her.

Even as I watched her happiness, I couldn’t be wholly joyous.

Though a smile did come to my face.

-Swish...!

Suddenly, the sound of something moving through the underbrush arose.

“Berg, this scent—Ah!”

I quickly covered Arwin’s mouth, who had cautiously sat down to smell the flower.

“...Shh.”

And then I whispered quietly.

Startled by my abrupt movement, Arwin’s long ears fluttered momentarily before she nodded in understanding.

I pointed out the source of the noise to Arwin.

At the tip of my finger, a doe stood still.

But perhaps due to the trees and bushes obscuring her view, Arwin seemed lost for a long while.

Only after the deer lifted its head did Arwin’s eyes widen in recognition.

Once Arwin had spotted the deer, I slowly released the hand that had covered her mouth.

“...Draw your bow.”

I whispered to Arwin.

She hesitated for a moment, then, as instructed, she took out her bow.

I pulled an arrow from the quiver on my back and handed it to her.

With a familiar ease, she took the arrow and... froze for a moment.

“...”

The deer grazed peacefully, enjoying nature in its tranquility.

I watched Arwin as she observed the serene creature.

Predictably, there was a hint of hesitation in her.

“...Arwin.”

I called her name and gently nudged her back.

Startled by the call, she jerked slightly.

“...Take a deep breath.”

I said.

The bow could one day be a weapon to protect her.

She needed to remember this fact clearly.

If she couldn’t shoot an arrow at a living creature, then the purpose of learning archery was moot.

“You can do it.”

With those words, Arwin steeled her expression, nocked the arrow to the bowstring, and drew it back.

The bowstring stretched more slowly than usual.

Continually hesitating, she blinked.

Emotion began to fill her gaze.

As she pulled the bowstring tighter, the confusion etched on her face deepened.

Yet, despite this, her actions did not cease, which was peculiar in its own right.

Was I pushing her too hard?

“...If you’re afraid of killing something-”

“That’s not it.”

-Thunk!

In an instant response, the arrow sliced through the air and flew.

The decision was much swifter than expected.

-Thwack!

But the arrow lodged itself in a tree near the deer.

-Rustle!

Startled by the sound, the deer quickly dropped its stance and fled.

I remained silent as the target vanished into nothingness.

“...I missed.”

Arwin muttered.

I was, in fact, quite surprised by Arwin’s action.

Despite her hesitant expression, her move was too quick.

I was at a loss for words at her awkward execution.

...Could it be that she intended to miss from the start?

If so, the quick action made sense.

Noticing my contemplation, Arwin looked up belatedly and offered an excuse.

“...I really missed.”

I nodded.

“Sure.”

It wasn’t really important.

It was just a pity.

Then, without realizing it, I began to give her advice.

Maybe it was an old habit from training my comrades.

“...But next time, don’t be perturbed.”

“...I wasn’t.”

“If you have experience of taking life, you’ll be able to stay calm in dire situations-”

“-Berg.”

Arwin called my name firmly.

“...I’m an elf.”

I shrugged.

“I know.”

“...That’s not it.”

“...?”

“Do you think I would feel guilty about killing such a creature?”

“...”

It was unexpected, the kind of response I hadn’t anticipated from her.

It had been a while since I’d encountered this atmosphere; I’d almost forgotten it.

It was this very sensation when we first met.

...Perhaps then, her quick decision earlier was also in this vein.

In any case, with her speaking so adamantly, it seemed unnecessary to preach any further.

In truth, all this talk stemmed from my own regrets.

I had hoped Arwin could devise a way to protect herself.

So, that should be enough for now.

To break the slightly frosty air, I made light of the situation.

“...Why make such grim remarks?”

“You’re one to talk, always quick to fight.”

Arwin joined in with the banter, riding the change in my tone.

The atmosphere softened once again.

I looked up at the sky and said,

“Arwin, let’s head back. It’s getting dark.”

“...”

Arwin was silent at my suggestion.

“...Arwin?”

“Can’t we follow that deer a bit longer?”

“...”

“If that’s too difficult, can we at least wander the forest a bit more...?”

I shook my head.

“Next time.”

Turning around, I began to make my way out of the forest.

After a moment of stubbornness, Arwin, seeing my resolute action, eventually followed.

.

.

.

As we left the forest, raindrops began to fall.

It was unfortunate.

The weather had not been great, but I hadn’t anticipated a sudden downpour.

I hastened my pace.

Untying our horses from the tree and loading the bows.

Looking around, I oriented myself to our position.

And then, a sudden deluge of rain began to pour down.

A fierce torrent of water cascaded around us.

“...”

I clicked my tongue and quickly searched for shelter from the rain.

For the time being, we decided to seek shelter under a tree with large, overlapping leaves as a temporary measure.

If necessary, we could head toward the small cave we had seen in the forest.

I called out to Arwin.

“Arwin! Over there...”

But I stopped short at the sight I had stumbled upon.

I caught her in a daze from behind.

Outside the forest, Arwin stood in the pouring rain, looking up at the sky.

Just seeing her like that left me unable to utter a word.

A profound sense of freedom was conveyed in that single act.

Her emotions seemed to be infectious, reaching out to me.

As she stood there embracing the rain, Arwin turned to look at me.

“...”

And then, she beamed a radiant smile.

“...It’s refreshing.”

Her beauty seemed to be accentuated even more within the rain.

“I really enjoy this, Berg.”

Perhaps it was the sight of her apparent happiness that made me say it.

“I can’t go back now.”

Unable to leave her alone in the rain, I too decided to welcome the downpour just as she did.

Giving up on seeking cover, I too felt a sense of relief wash over me.

“Yeah.”

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

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