Who Is the World’s Strongest Appraiser? ~Living in Another World With Satisfying Meals~

There Are Many Types Of Archers

“Hermine, you’re an archer, right?”

“That’s right. Why do you ask?”

In response to Yuuri’s question, Hermine tilted her head curiously. As always, Hermine’s beauty was stunningly lovely, and this gesture made her look even more charming. Her golden-haired, classic beauty seemed capable of ruling the world by looks alone. However, since her conversation partner was Yuuri, who remained utterly unaffected, her appearance did not elicit any reaction. Such was the consistent nature of Yuuri.

Yuuri reached out to Hermine’s arm, lightly touching her pale, slender upper arm with his fingertips. It felt soft and supple. A smooth, mochi-like texture. That was fine and all. As Yuuri poked her arm repeatedly, Hermine gazed at him curiously. After a thoughtful hum, Yuuri returned his gaze from her arm to her eyes and spoke.

…Incidentally, the fact that Yuuri could poke her like this without issue was a testament to his personal charm. If another boy had tried, Hermine’s eyebrows would have surely furrowed in displeasure. Being perceived as non-threatening was, in its own way, a remarkable talent.

“Hermine, your arms don’t seem muscular for an archer.”

“Huh? What do you expect from a weakling like me?”

“No, I mean, doesn’t archery require a lot of arm strength? And back muscles too?”

“???”

Seeing Hermine’s puzzled expression, Yuuri shared his thoughts based on what he knew. Archery demands arm strength and the use of the entire body’s muscles. Members of school archery clubs, for example, may look slender, but their arms and backs are surprisingly strong. Of course, the archery Yuuri knew and the combat-focused archers who fight monsters aren’t necessarily the same. But the idea that an archer’s arms would lack muscle seemed strange to him.

Yet, looking at Hermine’s arms, they seemed devoid of muscle. If it were a racial trait to possess hidden strength despite appearances, that would be one thing. But as a Featherkin, Hermine’s only distinguishing traits from humans were her ability to fly with wings, excellent vision, and longevity. …What? That’s more than enough? Well, there are species with deceptively slender appearances but incredible strength, like Beastkin or Bahamoon Dragonkin.

As Yuuri pondered this, Hermine tilted her head in response to his simple question. Her reaction seemed to say, “What are you talking about?” As a Featherkin reputed for her archery skills, Hermine was indeed quite talented. However, her reaction left Yuuri baffled, and he tilted his head too. Both of them ended up metaphorically sporting question marks above their heads.

The savior of their mismatched conversation appeared just as they were about to spend a few more minutes staring at each other in confusion. A calm voice called out to them from behind.

“What are you two doing?”

“Frau!”

“Oh, Frau.”

The newcomer was Frau, one of their mentors and an archer herself. She was the perfect person to resolve their doubts. Explaining the situation fell to Yuuri, as Hermine didn’t understand the nature of Yuuri’s question in the first place.

“I have a question. Archery requires muscle, right?”

“Yes, it does. You use your whole body.”

“But Hermine doesn’t seem to have much muscle.”

“Hmm? …Ah, I see. Yuuri, in Hermine’s case, her weapon is custom-made.”

“Huh?”

Yuuri looked puzzled, while Hermine seemed to wonder, “What’s the big deal?” Frau, having grasped the mismatch in their conversation, laughed in amusement and provided a detailed explanation.

Apparently, while archery does require muscle, Featherkin like Hermine are naturally delicate and not very strong. Therefore, they use custom-made bows. These bows are magical items designed to enable even the weakest Featherkin to deliver powerful shots. Moreover, they are lightweight, considering the need to use them while floating in the air.

“So if her weapon is custom-made, does that mean Hermine can’t fight if her weapon breaks?”

“Featherkin bows are highly durable. Magic items don’t break easily.”

“But it would be a problem if it did!”

“Well, yes, but I take good care of it, so it rarely happens!”

Although Yuuri now understood why the slender-armed Hermine could be an archer, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy about the possibility of her rare weapon breaking. Still, hearing that magic items are tough reassured him. Even if she wasn’t a professional monster hunter, as a treasure hunter and adventurer, Yuuri didn’t want her to face unnecessary danger.

With this thought, Yuuri turned his gaze to Frau. The slender and stylish Frau looked as sharp as ever in her chic pantsuit. Though she occasionally wore a tight skirt, it was a rare occurrence. Frau, being a “cool beauty”, suited her crisp pants-style image perfectly. But Yuuri’s gaze was drawn to Frau’s arms.

“…Want to touch?”

“Can I?”

“Sure. You want to compare them to Hermine’s, right?”

“Yes.”