Chapter 81 – Reunion with the Magic Archer
81 – Reunion with the Magic Archer
After the battle between the Sage Alchemy and The Bewitching Witch Mage.
「About your reward from Sir Hero, Lady Sage, what will you ask for?」
「…Considering.」
「My! You have so many that you have to narrow it down~? Although, considering how adorable Sir Hero is, I understand you want to ask for all sorts of things.」
「How unpleasant.」
「Don’t say that~」 Mage tried to hug Alchemy, but Alchemy used her staff to poke her in the boobs and hold her back.
「Ahn. Oh, Lady Sage. It’s only noon, yet you’re so bold.」
「Extremely unpleasant.」 said Alchemy.
Generally, people would recoil from Alchemy’s cold responses, but Mage is different. That alone seems to be making Alchemy confused about how to handle her. In the end, Alchemy just teleported Mage away with Teleportation.
「I sent her to the edge of the royal capital.」
Ah, well, in that case, she should be able to walk back.
「Rain.」
「Hm?」
「My life did not change significantly when you disappeared. I merely fulfilled my duty as a Savior, as ever. Today’s matter was also an extension of that.」
『I wonder…』
「However, as you know, the Saint Marie has spent every night soaking her pillow in tears and sleep-talking incomprehensibly.」
「Yeah, I know.」 Vivi’s reports informed me of that, and Marie also said as much when we reunited.
「Furthermore, even the Magic Archer Shoots, who looks calm and collected on the surface, spends time in search of your whereabouts.」
「…Yeah, I know about that too.」 I heard they’ve been capturing hostile Demons to find clues to my location.
「When the War God Gladius said that this was all within expectations, Shoots was dissatisfied with that answer. …As a fellow Savior, I did not like seeing Shoots so dispirited. Thus, I… That is… Well… I told Shoots…」
『That you’d bring Rain to meet Shoots? What a caring teammate, you are.』
「…How unpleasant, holy sword.」
『I’m just interpreting for you since you can’t be honest with yourself. A little thanks would be nice.』
「…」
「I get it. I should give them a proper explanation, personally. So, where is Shoots…」
「I have a rough idea. We should go and then return with haste, so as to not catch the attention of the Seven.」
「Wait, right now?」
The moment Alchemy took a good hold of me, the scenery changed.
『Ugh, typical Six Saviors…!』
Using their own abilities as and when they please really is something that a Savior would do. Like how Marie rampaged through Demon Territory in search of me…
Well, anyway…
We’re in a forest. The fact that the ground and the greenery look normal means that we are in Human Territory. Mixed in with the sound of the wind blowing, the leaves of the trees rustling, and the sounds of animals and birds, I could hear the sound of…a small stream? No, not just that. I could hear the sound of water droplets hitting the surface of the water.
「…Is Shoots taking a bath?」
『…Maybe. This is probably that Sage’s plan.』
「Plan…?」
That’s as far as our conversation went. In one motion, I brandished my holy sword and swung. The high-pitched sound of metal hitting metal reverberated throughout the forest. In the time it took for that sound to surprise the birds into flying away, five more slashes came from my opponent. The force of each slash was light, but each blow was unusually fast. I deflected them all, being careful not to hurt my opponent. I could have counterattacked, but there’s no way I’d do that. I mean, they’re my ally.
「Shoots! It’s me, Rain!」
『Yeah! Could you, like, come out like a normal person?! Letting loose assassination strikes as soon as we’re reunited? Are you crazy ?』
「…Lady holy sword. So…it’s really…?」
As soon as I heard the droplets of water, their presence vanished. Then Shots snuck up behind me without a sound, and slashed at me with their hunting knife. When it comes to hunting prey, there is no one better. After all, Shoots is a hunter.
『How paranoid can a person get…』
Maybe they thought I was an enemy disguised as the Hero. The Magic Archer Shoots dropped their hunting knife and approached me. Likewise, I sheathed Mika.
『Whoa, wait a minute, your clothes!』 shouted Mika in a panic.
Shoots wasn’t wearing any clothes. Sensing an enemy’s presence while in the middle of a bath, there is no time to put one’s clothes back on. Such actions aren’t strange for a Savior, those who throw themselves into battle. Shoots has shoulder-length hair as green as fresh leaves and beautiful matching jade eyes. Their facial features are androgynous enough to look like that of a beautiful woman’s or handsome man’s face. Their slenderness is a racial trait, as are characteristics including pointy ears.
Eleanor and the others also have long ears, but Shoots is not a Majin. Now that I think about it, Shoots and Alchemy have not changed at all in ten years.
「Is it really you?」 They reach their wet hand out to check the shape of my face to confirm it’s me. We were close enough that I could distinguish each and every one of her long eyelashes. A clean smell like that of a pure forest, wafted to me. It was Shoots’s scent.
I looked below Shoots’s neck and my thoughts came to a screeching halt. Normally, Shoots wears a green cloak over their body, and wears a hood to cover their ears. I never once entered a bath with them, nor have I ever seen Shoots take their clothes off. This is why I never knew Shoots’s gender. But now…
Breasts…
Large breasts…
Were on Shoots…
White, perky, and round. The tips were-
No! Stop thinking about it! I mustn’t stare at them. My head feels like it’s spinning. I have to try and calm down. This leads to only one answer, but I still can’t hide my surprise. Shoots is…
「A woman…?!」 I screamed. That’s the loudest I’ve yelled lately.
「Rain?」 she asked.
『Oh. Guess you never noticed, huh, Rain?』
Shoots, who was touching my face to make sure it was me, tilted her neck. 「Woman…? Woman, woman… What would make you say that n-… Ah.」
Her line of sight slowly went from me to down her own body. 「A-ah, ah, aaah?!」 Her face got redder and redder with each stutter. 「KYAH!!」 She covered her breasts and crouched down.
K-kyah? The Magic Archer…that Magic Archer let out a scream like that? My brain can’t comprehend it.
『Rain!』
「R-right.」
After Mika calls out to me, I immediately turn my back to Shoots. That’s right. Even she would get embarrassed if she was ogled at. 「Sorry, Shoots.」
「Urgh…N-no. It’s not your fault. I’m the one who chose to perform my actions naked. As soon as I realized it was really you, I had forgotten all about it. It is my own carelessness… Aha, ahaha…」
「No, if you thought I was an enemy, then there wouldn’t be any time to put on clothes…」 I said.
「Rain…saw me…」 said Shoots. Shoots was muttering something while crouching down. The time passed awkwardly.
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