A towering watchtower stood quietly in a clearing at the edge of the forest.
A blond man stood alone at the top, a longbow on his back, gazing into the distance over the vast sea of trees.
Suddenly-
A fierce blast of air swept toward him from behind.
Instincts honed over years of adventuring reacted almost instantly.
Roys spun around, his longbow already in hand, and nocked an arrow in one fluid motion.
Only when he got a clear look at the newcomer did he pause.
"Sylphie?"
His taut nerves immediately relaxed.
"Oh, it's you."
Roys put away his bow and arrow with a grumble.
"Can't you climb up normally?"
"You keep popping up out of nowhere like that. Sooner or later, you're going to scare your dad into an early grave."
Carrying a bamboo basket, Sylphie playfully stuck out her tongue.
"Oh, Dad~"
"Wasn't I doing it so you could have a hot meal?"
She gently set the basket on a wooden table nearby, then pulled out a chair and sat down.
Resting her chin in both hands, she gazed at the lush forest in the distance, bored out of her mind.
As Roys opened the lunchbox, he discreetly studied his daughter.
His eyes filled with emotion.
Sylphie had changed so much over the years.
It was as if she had grown up overnight after parting with that child from Paul's family.
The timid little girl who used to hide in a corner and secretly cry whenever she was upset was long gone.
In her place stood a resilient, brave young woman full of conviction.
Not long ago, she had even volunteered to take part in the village's monster-clearing operation.
And during the operation, she had displayed strength far beyond that of her peers.
Even as her father, Roys still found it a little hard to believe.
There was no doubt that his daughter was a genius.
And he also knew very well.
Exactly what lay behind it all.
Rudeus Greyrat.
That child who never stopped performing miracles.
He was the one who had pulled Sylphie out of her loneliness and self-doubt.
And he was the one who had given Sylphie the courage and strength to face the world.
Whenever Roys thought of that child, he couldn't help smiling.
Because Rudeus was a monster whose limits were impossible to guess.
His thoughts drifted back to several years ago...
Back then, Rudeus often came to their house to play with Sylphie.
Once, he happened to find Roys whittling arrows.
The little fellow had come over, his face full of curiosity.
"Uncle Roys, can you teach me archery?"
"I want to shoot high and far."
Faced with such a polite and clever child, Roys naturally didn't refuse.
With great patience, he shared the archery experience he had accumulated over many years.
From how to hold a bow to how to apply force.
From breathing rhythms to aiming techniques.
He held almost nothing back.
But precisely because of that.
What happened next was all the more absurd.
After listening to his explanation, Rudeus nodded thoughtfully.
Then he picked up the longbow and tried to nock an arrow.
At first, Roys didn't think anything was wrong.
Until he suddenly realized-
There was no arrow in Rudeus's hand.
His empty fingers rested lightly on the bowstring.
"Hm?"
Roys frowned slightly.
Just as he was wondering what was going on.
Rudeus turned his gaze toward a distant target.
The next moment.
Pale blue mana slowly flowed from his fingertips.
At first, it was as wispy and insubstantial as a thread of smoke.
But as the bowstring was drawn back bit by bit, the mana began to compress and condense.
The ethereal light gradually took on substance.
By the time Roys realized what was happening.
A pale blue arrow made entirely of mana hovered motionless against the bowstring.
"Th-this is magic too?"
Roys's eyes widened.
The shock on his face nearly froze in place.
But what happened next made him question everything he knew.
Rudeus released his fingers.
Whoosh-!
A piercing rush of air suddenly rang out.
The mana arrow became a streak of azure light, tearing through the air toward the target dozens of meters away.
It was so fast that the naked eye could barely follow it.
All that remained in his vision was a fleeting blue trail.
Then-
Boom-!!
A deafening explosion echoed through the courtyard.
Violent mana erupted.
Not even a fragment of the distant target remained.
In an instant, it turned to ash that scattered through the air.
"Hiss-"
Roys couldn't help sucking in a sharp breath.
At that moment.
Rudeus once again redefined what the word "genius" meant to him.
No.
Perhaps he could no longer be called a genius.
He was a monster.
"R-Rudeus."
"Can you tell me how you did that?"
Faced with his shock, Rudeus wore an expression as though it were perfectly natural.
"This?"
"Hehe, it's easy."
"You just gather mana at your fingertips and imagine it in the shape of an arrow."
"..."
Roys fell silent.
A moment later, he gave a helpless laugh.
It seemed ordinary people really couldn't understand the world of geniuses.
At the time, he looked at the boy before him and suddenly spoke in earnest.
"Rudeus, I'm counting on you to look after Sylphie from now on... Make sure you protect her."
"I will!"
Rudeus smiled confidently.
Roys smiled too.
Looking at the boy's unwavering gaze, Roys suddenly felt deeply reassured.
He smiled, his worries eased.
"Dad?"
"Dad-!?"
The calls in his ear pulled Roys out of his memories and back to reality.
"Hm?"
Only then did he come back to his senses.
Sylphie was looking at him with puffed cheeks.
"Dad, how can you space out in the middle of eating?"
"The food's almost cold."
Roys smiled, his gaze settling on his daughter.
Her well-proportioned figure, shaped by years of training, and her increasingly determined eyes both silently spoke of how much she had grown over the years.
For a moment, his heart filled with emotion...
After a brief silence, he suddenly spoke:
"Sylphie."
"You have to keep working hard..."
Sylphie paused, slightly startled.
But Roys continued with a smile:
"Because Rudeus is just that outstanding."
"So-"
But before he could finish.
Sylphie had already sprung to her feet, her emerald-green eyes filled with determination.
"I'll work hard!"
She clenched her fists, her voice clear and loud.
"I'll do everything I can to keep up with Rudeus!"
"At least..."
"At least I'll earn the right to stand at his side!"
Sunlight fell upon the girl.
Her persistence and resolve were so dazzling they seemed to shine.
Roys quietly watched her.
He felt both gratified and, for some reason, a little saddened.
She was his precious daughter, whom he had cherished since she was little.
Yet now she was working so hard for another man.
The feeling...
It was as if the little padded jacket he had painstakingly sewn over the years was letting in a fierce draft.
At the thought, Roys couldn't help smiling wryly.
In the end, he reached out with his broad hand and gently ruffled Sylphie's hair.
His gaze was tender, his worries eased.
Because he knew.
His daughter's heart had long since found where it belonged.
And as her father.
All he could do was give her his blessing.