Diana-chan and I walked through the forest toward the dungeon.
We chatted casually as we trudged along.
「By the way」
「Yeah?」
「You’re holding a bow right now, right?」
「Yeah」
This is a dangerous forest where monsters could appear at any time.
Well, not especially dangerous monsters, but still a dangerous forest.
So, both Diana-chan and I are carrying bows.
As elves, it is a very proper look.
「That bow of yours, you’ve been using it for a long time, right?」
「Yeah」
「What happened to it? World Tree-sama’s bow」
「Ah……」
I had already told Diana-chan that Yggdrasil-san gave me a branch of the World Tree and that we were making a bow from it.
I also told her that it was almost finished.
Actually, it was already finished……
「My Mother is using it right now……」
「Huh? Really?」
「Yeah. It was finished, and I tried to shoot it right away, but…… the string was too heavy」
「……You couldn’t pull it」
「Yeah……」
It was surprisingly stiff and heavy, and I could not draw the string.
According to Jered-papa, who finished the bow, it was a masterpiece, but it was simply too heavy for me.
So I confronted Jered-papa about it, but……
『Since we got to make a bow from something like a branch of World Tree-sama…… well, you know. You kid will grow soon anyway, and then it’ll fit just right』
He said something like a shop clerk recommending an oversized school uniform because the kid will grow into it.
「Apparently the bow itself turned out really good though……」
「Hmm」
「For now, Mother was really happy」
I could not draw it, and even Nana-san, who has a higher strength stat than me, could not draw the World Tree bow.
So, we had no choice but to leave it with Mother.
She usually does not go hunting much, but she must have liked the bow.
For once, she happily went off on a hunting trip.
And then she did not come back for about a week.
「Apparently Mother went hunting far away with Ralina-mama and Jisrare-san」
「I see」
「Then they came back carrying a ridiculous amount of insanely delicious meat」
「Wow」
That meat was delicious.
It was the best meat I had ever eaten in my life.
「Oh yeah, a little while ago, I ate some really tasty meat too. I heard it was a gift from the Sage-san」
「That was probably that meat」
They said they secured quite a lot of it and shared it around.
Since Mother and Diana-mama go way back, she delivered some to Diana-chan’s house too.
「That was good meat」
「Yeah」
「Someday, I want us to defeat a monster like that and get delicious meat too」
「Yeah……」
Personally, I do not really have a strong desire to fight something that powerful.
Still, I do want to become strong enough to do it.
And I want to eat delicious meat.
So let’s do our best.
For now, today’s great hammer is one step toward becoming stronger.
It is probably one step toward that.
Let’s do our best.
◇
「Oh, no one’s here」
「If anyone was, they’d be on 1-4」
Diana-chan and I arrived at the 『World Tree-sama’s Dungeon』 1-1 area.
Fortunately, no one else was exploring this area right now.
「Alright, then let’s get started……」
I put my bow into my magic bag using magic and took out Alexis Hammer No. 1.
This is it.
My very first real combat using the 『Hammer』 skill and a hammer.
「It’s my first fight, but I’m not that nervous」
「Well, yeah……」
It is just a giant rat.
That makes sense.
It is my first close combat with a hammer, but I have done it many times with a sword.
……Come to think of it, was my first real combat with a sword also against a giant rat?
Back then, I fought a hyper giant rat that drank a recovery potion in a deadly battle that lasted hours.
I really do have some kind of strange connection with giant rats……
「Alright, I’m going in, Diana-chan」
「Yeah. I’ll support you from behind too」
「Thanks, Diana-chan」
I do not think I will need Diana-chan’s help against a mere giant rat, but I appreciate the thought.
「Alright, I’m off」
「Good luckー」
With Diana-chan’s rather casual cheer behind me, I started walking toward a nearby giant rat.
Step by step, I trudged closer.
「Oh, it noticed me」
The giant rat raised its head and looked at me.
「……I kind of feel like starting a little oyuugikai」
When I use a bow, I do not feel this way, but when it comes to close combat with a giant rat, I somehow feel like putting on a little show.
I have picked up a strange habit……
「Sorry, Giant Rat-kun. That’s not what today’s about」
I suppressed that strange urge and closed the distance.
The giant rat squeaked and threatened me, then charged straight at me.
「……Alright, let’s try landing a counter」
I pulled the great hammer back and timed it with the charging giant rat.
Diana-chan is watching too, so I want to land a cool counter.
「Come at me, giant rat. With my Alexis Hammer No. 1――――Hi」
Right in the middle of my slightly oyuugikai-like pre-battle line, an arrow flew past right next to me.
Startled by the sound of it cutting through the air, what came out of my mouth was not a cool line, but a pathetic scream.
「What!? What was that!?」
「Sorry, Alec. Are you okay?」
「Diana-chan……? Huh, what just happened……?」
As I started to panic a little, Diana-chan called out to me from behind.
It seems the arrow that suddenly flew past me was shot by Diana-chan.
「Your movements were kind of slow――I mean, really slow, so I got a little worried」
「I see……」
I feel like I sensed a bit of kindness in how Diana-chan corrected herself to say slow.
Anyway, she was worried that my movements were so sluggish that I might lose to the giant rat.
……To be fair, my movement speed might have been pretty relaxed.
Still, the swing speed of the hammer is boosted by the skill, so it is quite fast.
I do not think I would have been slower than a giant rat……
「Think of it as a little support」
「Support……」
If you call it support, then it is support.
It is perfect covering fire.
In fact, the giant rat that was about to attack me took Diana-chan’s arrow to the knee and cannot move.
「Alright, Alec, do your best」
「…………」
It sounds like Diana-chan is telling me to finish it off.
She is telling me to bring the great hammer down on the immobilized giant rat and end it.
Again…….
Another staged hunt…….
I wanted to defeat a monster coolly in front of Diana-chan, but instead I am being babysat by her, and it is another staged hunt…….
next chapter: Getting Shot with an Arrow from Behind Is Scary
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