The Male Slave of House Sianella - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Talent (2)

"That target should do nicely."

The closest target.

About 25 meters away—not bad for a first practice.

Sione took her position where I indicated, letting the bow hang as she awaited my next instruction.

Without delay, I demonstrated and explained how to proceed.

"Nock the arrow to the string. This bow has a light draw weight, so like this... use your index finger and thumb to grip the arrow's end."

"Mmm... like this?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Hmm. This seems different from what you were using earlier."

Already noticing my finger positions. I hadn't imagined she'd been watching such details.

I'd thought she was just watching the arrows fly true.

She seemed to have carefully observed not just the arrow's straightness but the entire shooting process and method.

Not bad for a teacher when the student shows such eagerness.

"What I used earlier was a different method."

"Won't you teach me that one?"

"Lady Sione, isn't this your first time holding a bow? It would be better to get familiar with this method first before learning that one."

I strongly felt that the split-finger draw wouldn't suit the current Sione.

With the simpler pinch draw available, I didn't want to see her give up after struggling with the Mediterranean draw.

She seemed to understand my intention and nodded.

"Turn sideways to face the target. Then raise your arms to shooting position."

"Right, I've seen archers take this stance. Is this correct?"

"The position is right, but... your arm has dropped."

"You want it higher than this?"

"Yes, raise it until your arm is parallel to the ground."

"Ngh."

Oh dear, she's far more out of shape than I'd thought...

Between her flesh and the bow's weight, just lifting to horizontal seemed quite taxing.

Her arm kept dropping and returning to an inadequate height.

Come on, sis, we haven't even drawn the string yet and you're already struggling?

Our sister was far more out of shape than I'd imagined.

"...Your posture keeps slipping."

"...The bow is heavier than I expected. Give me a moment."

This isn't something that'll be solved just by waiting.

I set down my bow and approached behind her.

"I'll help position you from behind."

"What?"

"Excuse me."

I moved behind Sione and spread my arms as if embracing her.

Given how much larger she was than my thin frame, it ended up looking like an embrace.

My left hand supported and assisted her arm, while my right waited to help the arm that would draw the string.

"How's that?"

"...Aren't you too close?"

"Pardon? What do you mean?"

"Ahem..."

"Ah."

Sione was having inappropriate thoughts during this sacred teaching moment.

Really, while I'm working so hard to teach—how dare she?

Though I desperately wanted to give my student a few loving strikes with a teaching rod...

The vast difference in our social positions sadly prevented me from acting so freely.

I shook my head internally.

"It's fine. Your chest won't wear away from contact. Don't worry about it."

"But still, there's also—"

"Is there filth on my body?"

"No, that's not..."

"Then there's no problem. Now, focus on the bow instead of my chest."

"...Very well."

What could be so concerning about this unremarkable body?

This was one of the most incomprehensible reactions I'd encountered since falling into this world.

Well, in the end, I just had to be careful first.

I refocused on the instruction.

"Good. Angle your left arm slightly this way so it can properly support the bow."

"Is this enough?"

"Just right. Now all that's left is drawing and releasing."

The arrow was nocked using the pinch draw I'd shown earlier.

Now we just needed to slowly execute a dead release.

"Now, draw the string until your hand touches your chin, keeping your elbow angled slightly upward."

Tremble tremble.

"This is harder to draw than I expected. Is it always like this?"

"The tension is necessary for the arrow to fly forward. If it's too difficult, you could use mana..."

Ah, mana. In yesterday's self-pitying mutters, Sione had mentioned reaching the level of Sword User.

Though hard to believe looking at her now, if her words were true, she must have considerable mana.

If she'd used mana for holding and drawing the bow, I wouldn't have needed to help her like this.

Why did I only think of this now?

And why was Sione wasting her mana when she had it?

"Now it's working better."

Sione began channeling mana and drew the string steadily.

Following my instruction, her hand reached her chin.

Having come this far, I should support her until the complete shot.

I continued my explanation:

"This is the basic stance."

"Basic stance, got it."

"For your first shot, don't worry about failing—just aim at the target following your instincts. If you're too far off, I'll adjust you."

"Mm."

Soon Sione finished aiming.

"Now, release the arrow."

Twang!

Sione's first arrow took flight.

Her eyes followed its path.

Thud!

Her arrow struck the target.

Not the center, but not the edge either.

Seeing her arrow stick in the 25-meter target, Sione stared at her hand in wonder.

"Let me try alone this time."

Sione shot again, following my instructions.

Thunk!

This time her arrow hit the edge.

"I'm starting to understand how this works."

She shot again.

This time she hit closer to center than the edge.

"One more time."

She carefully aimed using the dead release, then let go.

Her gaze froze with the arrow at a single point.

"A clean hit to the center."

"I feel like I could hit the center again if I shot once more. What do you think?"

"We can find out by trying, can't we?"

"...I'll shoot once more."

"I'll fetch the arrows."

Sione took the arrows I brought and focused again.

Her eyes were dramatically different from when she lay in bed eating cookies.

Gone was the listless, dull focus—seeing her eyes so intently absorbed was refreshing.

I'd thought I'd never see such eyes from her except when eating.

Have I saved someone here?

"Thank you."

Taking the arrows, Sione immediately took action.

Twang! Thunk!

Once again, dead center.

"..."

After quietly observing her results, she gathered the quiver and moved positions.

From the 25-meter target to one about 40 meters away.

I watched her silently.

"Do you think I can hit this one too?"

Though she took her stance with an arrow, she seemed nervous at the moment of truth.

Hitting or missing aside, it looked nearly 50 meters.

Someone who'd only shot three or four times would naturally struggle to aim for the center.

Moreover, unlike Earth's archery bows, her bow had no sight. Plus the cold dawn wind was now buffeting it.

Honestly, I thought her arrow would miss or at best hit the edge.

But in this moment, I didn't want to say anything discouraging.

"An arrow traces its most satisfying path when its master believes in themselves without wavering. Just—"

Sione glanced at me while maintaining the dead release.

"Clear away stray thoughts and shoot. Then you will hit."

"Good."

Whoosh!!

Unlike her previous shots, this arrow flew with a sharp sound.

Swish!!

The instantly released arrow embedded itself in the target.

Not the center, but not the edge either.

But what mattered to her was simply that her arrow had hit the target at all.

"...I hit it!"

Her usually downturned lips curved upward.

Success seemed to build her confidence—she shot two more arrows.

One might dismiss a single hit as luck, but every arrow she shot stuck in the target.

"...No, I'm shooting better than when I started."

I had started archery with a compound bow, far superior to what she was using.

I remember aiming at targets around 50 meters back then, but my arrows rarely found their mark. The edge at best.

I'd meant to give her a hobby, but it seems we've discovered a talent.

Then Sione called me, her posture crumbling.

"Come help me."

"Help?"

Why now, when she was shooting so well?

"This time I want to achieve it with just what I have, without borrowing mana's power."

She moved to face a target 70 meters away and began drawing an arrow.

With trembling arms, she spoke:

"I feel like this one shot could give me certainty about myself."

"...One moment. I'll come help right away."

I approached her and supported her left arm holding the bow, helping her gradually as she drew the string herself.

Once in position, she aimed while trying to steady her trembling right arm.

"I'm letting go now."

"Thank you."

I lowered my hands that had been sharing her burden.

And then.

"Hup."

Sione's breath stopped, and from her momentarily frozen stance, a single line shot forth.

At the same time, her arms went limp.

Unaware of her collapsed form, she dripped with sweat, having focused all her energy on that one shot.

"Ha, haha."

A weak laugh, like air escaping.

Then Sione's face lit up with the brightest, most radiant smile I'd ever seen on her.

"The sword might not have worked, but the bow... with the bow, things might be different."

Her arrow had stuck in the edge of the target.

It might have been pure luck.

But even if it was just luck, it was enough to show her the possibility she'd been thirsting for.

Sione turned to meet my eyes, excitement evident.

"Can you continue teaching me archery?"

"Of course."

"In that case—"

As the sun rose, painting the distant sky red, she made a promise there:

"...I want to come here at this time every day."

After hesitating, Sione spoke with a determined expression.

"Will you help me?"

I bowed my head in agreement to Sione's words.

"An excellent choice."

From rotting food to fermented delicacy.

My master, who had been rotting alive shut in her room, had begun to change.

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