Hunting in the Mountains

It was still a few days before Sylutia had to go to Lady Falan's to tend the flower beds.

One afternoon, after Sylutia finished tutoring Mick, Karen, and the others, she picked up a bow and practiced as well.

Since she couldn't show off her swordsmanship, practicing archery seemed like a good alternative. After a month of on-and-off practice, her skill with the bow had gradually reached a very respectable level.

[Basic Archery Lv.3]: Basic archery techniques; one of the ranged combat arts. (Progress: 342/900)

Whoosh! Another arrow flew, landing squarely in the bull's-eye sixty meters away. ("Basic Archery" proficiency +1)

Unlike swordsmanship, archery seemed to depend more on certain muscle reflexes and intuition, so her progress was slower.

"That's amazing. Tia's archery is almost as good as Karen's now," Comia said, clapping.

"I'm still not as good as you, Karen," Sylutia replied modestly.

"Your archery is already very good. But when you have time, Tia, you could try shooting at moving rabbits or birds in the mountains. You'll improve faster that way," Karen suggested.

"I see." Sylutia thought it over. It wasn't just archery—her swordsmanship needed practical training too.

"Tomorrow's a day off. Karen, can you come with me?"

"Of course." Karen nodded. She had been thinking along the same lines.

"Then I'm coming too." Comia didn't want to be left out.

"I'll go too." Mick had overheard them and came over.

"If you run into danger, I can be a big help." He thought it was too dangerous for a few girls to go out alone.

"I'll go too." Ray came over just then.

"All right."

It looked like the five of them were going together after all. Sylutia thought it over. There didn't seem to be any need to keep hiding her abilities forever. Besides, they were all friends she could trust; she could just ask them to keep it secret.

At the moment, her various skills were roughly at [Basic Swordsmanship Lv.4], [Military Swordsmanship Lv.4], [Basic Archery Lv.3], [Basic Spearmanship Lv.4], [Secret History Knowledge Lv.5], and [Gardening Skills Lv.4]. The combat-related skills all needed practical experience to break through to the next level.

After they agreed to go together the next day, everyone grew excited. Comia chattered away about what they should bring.

"A picnic basket, water, food, bandages and medicine for emergencies," she recited.

"Isn't that a bit much?" Karen couldn't help interrupting. They were going hunting, not on a picnic. Carrying too much would slow them down.

"Aww, but I want to," Comia said, disappointed.

"I carry." Ray thumped his chest with his fist, producing a deep thud.

"See? Ray's agreed to carry our things, so it won't be a problem," Comia said, raising her hand.

Karen could only shake her head helplessly and agree.

Early the next morning, the five gathered at the city gate in Scorched Stone City, ready to go.

"Tia brought quite a lot of things too," Comia said curiously, looking at the black-haired girl.

Sylutia wore a short black dress that was easy to move in, revealing a little of her healthy, fair thighs. Black stockings that reached above her knees kept out the late-autumn chill. She wore a fitted long-sleeved hunting jacket on top, with a close-fitting leather corset around her waist. It could hold her arrow case and short sword, while also offering some protection.

She held a longbow in one hand, her black hair flowing freely. Light-footed and nimble, she looked like an elf who had stepped out of the forest.

"Wow, Tia looks absolutely stunning today!" Comia cried, hopping with excitement. The others stared at her in surprise too.

With everyone's eyes on her, Sylutia felt a little embarrassed, especially since she was wearing a short skirt that left her feeling somewhat exposed.

"Come on, let's go. Stop staring." All she could do was urge them to get moving.

"Okay, okay. Hee-hee. If we keep staring at Tia, she'll get embarrassed," Comia giggled, knowing how bashful the girl was.

They left Scorched Stone City and reached the mountain woods a few miles outside town. Dew still clung to the grass, and the air was fresh.

Karen led the way, with Mick behind her. Both had plenty of hunting experience. The other three followed: Sylutia held her bow and kept watch, Ray carried the heavy luggage, and Comia bounced around, looking this way and that to keep everyone's spirits up.

The five didn't find the journey dull. They chatted about recent happenings along the way. Now and then, Sylutia stopped to pick medicinal herbs and mushrooms by the roadside and put them in the basket Comia carried.

There were few large beasts around Scorched Stone City. Any that did appear were usually hunted down by the city's hunters to keep merchants and travelers safe.

They hadn't seen any large animals along the way, though they did come across a few little rabbits and forest falcons.

"There's a rabbit over there, Tia," Comia whispered.

"Mm." Sylutia had already nocked an arrow. Her form was steady, her expression serious. As soon as she drew the bow, the arrow flew, pinning the rabbit as it sprinted through the grass.

("Basic Archery" proficiency +6)

"A hit on the first shot! Amazing!" Comia turned into an adoring fan and praised her loudly. Karen, who had been ready to finish the job, lowered her bow.

If Sylutia had missed, Karen would have fired a second arrow to stop the prey from escaping. It was one way hunters covered for each other.

Mick strode through the grass, which reached his ankles, and picked up the rabbit and arrow. Then he brought them back.

"Not bad. We can have meat for dinner tonight." He held up the gray rabbit and smiled.

"Come on, let's keep going and find Tia some more targets to practice on."

Although the five of them had gone out together, everyone was deliberately giving Sylutia more chances to practice archery, while keeping an eye out and warning her about possible dangers. Being so looked after and doted on made her feel a little unaccustomed to it, but it also warmed her heart.

Mick and Karen already had plenty of hunting experience and didn't need the practice. Sylutia, on the other hand, might never have hunted in the mountains before, so of course they wanted to look after her.

Sylutia usually helped them with their studies. They were happy to return the favor for once.

The five gradually made their way deeper into the forest along a mountain trail. As Sylutia used her bow, she grew more and more skilled. Adjusting her breathing kept her stamina in good shape, and the practical training taught her many new things about archery, the Breathing Technique, and tracking prey in the wild.

As expected, practical experience was the fastest way to improve, and her "Basic Archery" was nearing a breakthrough.

That afternoon, the group found a clearing in the forest and stopped to rest.

"Finally, we can take a break." Comia plopped down on a rock, her legs aching so badly she didn't want to move.

Of the five, she was the only one who didn't know the Breathing Technique. Her stamina and endurance were the worst, and the only reason she had made it this far was that she was usually so lively and active.

The others couldn't help smiling at the sight. They stopped urging her to get up, checked the area first, then returned and sat down.

"I remember there's an animal-hide cloth in the pack. We can use it as a mat," Karen said.

There weren't many rocks in the forest, and sitting on the ground would mean dealing with plenty of bugs and ants. Besides, they were ready to eat something.

"Okay." Ray set down the large pack he'd been carrying. Karen opened it, found the rolled-up animal-hide cloth, and spread it out. They sat around it to rest their tired limbs.

"Aren't you tired, Tia?"

Karen was curious. The black-haired girl seemed to have more stamina than she did, and she hadn't broken a sweat. Her movements were still as light as when they had first entered the mountains.

Could Tia really have elf blood? Karen suddenly wondered. It was a shame Sylutia didn't have the pointed ears that were characteristic of elves.

"I'm not tired yet." The girl set down her longbow and knelt gracefully on the mat.

After a moment's thought, Sylutia also took off the glasses she had been wearing and set them aside. Now that her lovely figure and captivating face were both on display, the others were surprised all over again.

"I feel like Tia's getting prettier and prettier," Comia said, voicing what everyone was thinking.

The others nodded in agreement. But when they saw how embarrassed the girl looked, they found her all the more endearing and amusing, so they decided to stop teasing her for now.

"What food did we bring? I'm hungry," Mick said, looking at the picnic basket under the cloth.

"Right, the food!" Comia lifted the tablecloth and revealed what was inside.

Comia's mother had prepared the picnic food: pies, bread, smoked sausage, and two bottles of beer.

Clean water was hard to find out in the wild, while alcoholic drinks were easier to preserve and were clean. (The fermentation process kills bacteria.)

"Thanks." Mick murmured a quick word of thanks, then took out a pie and eagerly bit into it.

The pie contained a little dried fruit and diced vegetables. Along with the crust, it made for a balanced meal.

As they ate, they talked about the mountains.

"We haven't seen any sign of wolves so far," Sylutia recalled.

"That's because the Hunters Guild in town regularly sweeps the area," Karen explained around a mouthful of bread.

"Scorched Stone City is Lord Xuefeng's personal territory and residence. It's also where the surrounding villages gather to trade, so safety is important. The local Hunters Guild has to help clear the area. If they do a good job, they don't have to pay the lord any extra taxes." She knew a lot about hunters.

"Aw, that's a little boring." Mick had been hoping they'd hunt something bigger so he could see how much his recent training had paid off.

Like Sylutia, he had spent the past month studying and training with Scholar Heide. He hadn't had a chance to join any adventures, nor had he found a good opportunity to test how much he'd improved.

"Isn't it better to be safe?" Comia didn't understand his thinking.

After they finished eating, Comia took out five wooden cups and poured beer into each one.

"Whew, this tastes great." Mick took a long gulp and nearly emptied his cup.

Sylutia drank more slowly, savoring the faint taste of beer on her tongue.

Birdsong rang clear through the mountains, and the cool late-autumn breeze was refreshing. Even without hunting, having a picnic here was a pleasure.