NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 110.2
There Are Many Types Of Archers
Grateful for the kind Frau, Yuuri moved his fingers closer to her extended upper arm. When he gently poked it, he could clearly feel the firmness even through her clothes. It was a little softer now since she was relaxed, but when Frau, amused by Yuuri’s reaction, tensed her muscles, it became rock hard. It was remarkable muscle.
“It’s totally different from Hermine, huh?”
“Well, I use a regular bow, so without muscle, I can’t draw it.”
“But no matter how much I train, I just can’t build muscle…”
“Really?”
“People from the Featherfolk have great eyesight, but they have a hard time building muscle.”
Hermine grumbled. That’s why she uses a magic item bow. Racial traits can’t be changed through effort, so there’s no help for it. Well, imagining the delicate beauty of the Featherfolk with their white wings turning into muscular bodybuilders is a bit sad, so maybe that’s the reason. Not that there’s anything wrong with muscles, but in Yuuri’s mind, the Featherfolk were a beautiful race he’d call “angels,” so they were better off slender, as that was gentler on the heart.
Yuuri suddenly remembered that there were various types of bows as weapons. The ones Frau and Hermine used were the type that you draw with your hand, like those in archery. Yuuri also knew that there was a crossbow, a type of bow made for people with less strength to use. …His knowledge was from subculture sources, so he didn’t understand the exact manufacturing process or structure, but at least he knew it was easier to use than a regular bow.
“Hermine, don’t you use a crossbow?”
“Ugh, I don’t like it. It’s too much of a hassle.”
“…Huh?”
“Because crossbows are pretty bulky.”
“…That’s the reason?”
“Yep!”
It was a truly delightful smile.
Even though crossbows had various advantages, like being easier to use, easier to aim, and allowing even weak people to shoot arrows, Hermine completely dismissed all those benefits with a simple “it’s bulky, so it’s annoying.” She gave that reason with a shining smile, leaving Yuuri dumbfounded. It was no wonder he was taken aback.
Frau, who explained the reason behind Hermine’s words to Yuuri, was truly wonderful. As a mentor who supported the trainees every day, she was an amazing older sister.
“Hermine’s bow is light because it’s a magic item, but it’s also easy to store.”
“Easy to store?”
“It shrinks!”
“…Wow.”
Yuuri thought it was just too convenient. One shouldn’t expect common sense from magic items. He thought this, then remembered the alchemy pot he loved to use. That too was a magic item with all sorts of wrong capabilities. Compared to that, a bow that shrinks for easy storage seemed pretty cute.
By the way, Hermine’s bow could shrink to about half its size when not in use. The arrows and quiver didn’t shrink, but since the bow became smaller, it could be easily packed away inside the quiver, making it easier to carry. Also, while the bow was a magic item, the arrows could be regular store-bought arrows or ones Hermine made herself, so restocking was easy. It was an incredibly convenient weapon.
“Does Frau have a special bow or something?”
“Not really. I don’t use any special bows. I just make sure to keep enough bows and arrows, so I change the combination depending on where I’m going and what kind of monsters I’m facing.”
“I hate thinking about that stuff. It’s too much trouble.”
“I’m not saying you should change your bow, but you should at least pick the right arrows, Hermine.”
“Fine…”
Frau’s light reprimand flew at Hermine, who seemed bothered. However, it wasn’t because Frau was angry or being harsh. Frau’s face was smiling, and Hermine acted as usual. This sort of exchange must have been a regular occurrence. To Yuuri, these everyday conversations between adventurers were fascinating and interesting. …Though, he never once thought about going to the same places they did.
Incidentally, the reason Frau told Hermine to choose her arrows was because certain materials used for the arrowheads wouldn’t work on certain monsters. Gathering that information and preparing the best equipment was an important lesson too. Hermine understood that well, even if she grumbled about it. She knew better than to neglect the basics.
“Are there any archers who prefer crossbows?”
“Yeah, there are. However, the people who use crossbows usually use them as secondary weapons rather than primary ones.”
“Secondary weapons?”
“They’re mainly melee fighters, but if they need to attack from a distance or want to intimidate, they use crossbows.”
“I see.”
Yuuri’s mind wandered to video games where you could switch weapons with the press of a button. If you were far from the enemy, you’d attack with a ranged weapon, but if they got close, you’d switch to a sword or axe to hack away at them. He vaguely remembered such games, though he wasn’t good at action games.
Yuuri thought that such a strategy existed in this world too. He then casually thought, “Adventurers must have it tough,” while peacefully preparing meals at the hideout. The adventurers he saw every day were always so laid-back, but they were constantly honing their skills to protect their lives while battling monsters. It was easy for Yuuri to forget this because of how relaxed they always seemed.
…Though he didn’t realize that he was the main reason they were so relaxed.