Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Powerful Archery

n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Chapter 40: Powerful Archery

The wound on my left arm is not much of a big deal. However, because the bleeding doesn’t stop, my body would be quickly exhausted and my body temperature would also drop. The blurriness of my vision also gradually erodes my sight slowly restricting my movements.

My reaction time is also affected. And because my left hand can’t be used anymore, it became a hindrance in achieving our objective. I also won’t be able to parry while being attacked by the enemy because I won’t have enough strength to support the weight of the attacks. Even if I was able to parry, the L shaped tip of the billhook could be used by my enemy to disarm me if I am not careful. As a result, I could now only focus on dodging the attacks.

These movements consume a great amount of energy and need an extra amount of physical strength, and before long I fell down on my knees.

「Huff, huff―― huff……」

Falling down on my knees in front of my enemy would be equivalent to suicide. And worst of all, my physical strength has already reached its limits. Understanding the situation, the man shows a disgusting grin and raised a jeering speech.

「What’s wrong, already reached your limit? Well, you don’t have to worry brat, you will still be treated as a valuable goods after this, you know?」 「Ugh, don’t you mess around……」 「Don’t worry, there are healers employed by slave traders. I’m only breaking one or two of your limbs so that you won’t be able to run away. Oh and don’t worry about that as well, I’m sure they will be able to perfectly fix you up」 「Guuhhh……wa?」

I clenched my teeth from the humiliation, trying to grip my sword with my trembling hands. Then at that time, no I have noticed it little earlier, but an intense surge of fighting spirit could be felt behind me.

This is probably because of the difference in our fighting experience. Finally, the man notices that and reacted without a moment’s delay. The man’s eyes opened wide in surprise as he sensed the incoming threat, he moved accordingly without looking back to the source.

I also stepped aside and immediately hold myself down, while the man dropped his stance and immediately prepared his shield. You could also say that the difference between our actions decided our life and death.

No, in the first place, the trajectory of that attack was not aimed at me, so I would have been safe even without doing so. However, the man was in a different situation. A steel arrow howls as it creates drag like a gust of wind. The pressure from that gust of wind easily blows me away ending with me rolling on the ground. It was good that I was barely able to protect the fainted girl.

But the results with the man ended differently. He had a fighting style that would block any incoming attacks from the front. That defensive style, which probably permeated to his body after using it for years, also led him to the end of his life.

「――Eh?」

The man who had a large hole in both his shield and stomach probably couldn’t understand what happened and reacted in a surprised voice. Then finally unable to support his own weight, he split in two and collapses.

After confirming that the girl I secured was safe, I looked back at Michelle-chan. She was standing there stunned by the storm of destruction her attack had caused. I was also barely able to see a white silhouette behind her which was probably the cause of this.

But more than that, I was concerned about something else. It was the white silver bow that is held by Michelle-chan. It was a huge bow that is clearly enchanted. If that piece of equipment enters the market, you will probably have to pile up gold coins enough to buy a castle to be able to purchase it. It was that kind of expensive item that she is currently holding on her hands.

「Michelle-chan――?」 「Eh……ah, un. Are you alright, Nicole-chan?」 「U, un. I only have a bit of an arm injury, and a bit exhausted. What is that bow?」

After I pointed it out, she finally seemed to remember about the big bow she held in her hand. The bow had an elaborate design and magical characters were engraved in various places, and the more I look at it the more amazed I am by its design.

「This? A lady in white told me to use it」 「Lady in white? Where?」

When I asked her about it, Michelle-chan immediately looked around to check. However, she only found us two girls standing and one fainted. The others are corpses and fainted men, and horses that were still struggling while connected to the carriage.

「She disappeared」 「Is that so……」

That white figure that I’ve noticed earlier, perhaps that was the person who offered help to Michelle-chan. It’s a bit suspicious for her to give such an expensive item without any hesitation.

「What should I do. I have to return this」

Michelle-chan was in panic the moment I look at her, because the woman disappeared before being clear about returning the item, or not wanting it back. While I was thinking about it, I found a piece of paper stuck under my feet. Was it perhaps something that blown away by the wind. I immediately picked it up and casually looked at the text that was written in it. What was written is something like this.

『I’ll give you that bow. I hope that you would help her with that power. And also, you are still unable to handle your gift, right? If you properly use that power, you can become the strongest, that’s why you should work harder from now on. From the kind and benevolent Goddess』

Goddess…… could that person be the one who reincarnated me into a little girl. Although it was unforgivable that she turned me into a woman, she was surprisingly helpful, like giving me a path towards reincarnation, or giving this gift and helping out Michelle-chan. This time was seriously dangerous, I couldn’t help but thank her for the help.

「It says here that she’s giving it to you. Are you hesitant in receiving that?」 「Eh, Nicole-chan, you can read?」 「Oops……」

Thinking about it now, it was unusual for me to be able to read letters without going to school to learn. Of course, I know how to read because of my inherited knowledge, but it should be very rare for a child my age to be able to read and write.

「Well, Lye――Papa and Mama taught me」 「Ah, that’s right. Lyell-sama and Maria-sama would be able to teach you, right?」

It’s also a fact that if you are an aristocrat child, they would often hire tutors or teachers before entering an academy. Especially if we are talking about Maria, she has insight known to even surpass sages. It’s times like these that I would be able to use their reputation as an excuse.

「But you know, that bow looks really amazing」 「Un. The lady in white also told me to be careful in using it because it’s too powerful」 「I think so too」

A bow that can shoot arrows that are able to release that amount of shockwave is no joke. If you accidentally get caught in its trajectory, you would end up becoming minced meat. Perhaps only Michelle-chan who has a gift for shooting would be able to use it. However, that assumption of mine also collapsed in the next moment.

「Ah, I can’t use it anymore」 「Eh?」 「You see, with my power alone, I wouldn’t be able to draw this bow. That’s why the lady in white put strengthening enchantments on me, before I could finally use it」 「I, I see……」

Now that I think about it, for such a powerful bow, a normal arrow would be impossible to use, and a child’s strength wouldn’t be enough to draw it.

「Crimson One, Ultramarine One, Gold Three. Grant her power―― How about now? Try drawing it?」 「Nn, gugugugu……no good, I can’t. Sorry」 「Hmmm, you don’t really have to apologize」

God giving her an unusable bow is just bad. I tried giving Michelle-chan enchantments but it was no good, my strengthening just wasn’t enough to allow her to use the bow. I don’t really know how much I have strengthened her though, and all I could say is 『As expected of God』. If you have that much power, you could have just defeated the man directly.