#376
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376
Piyung! The arrow shot through the air and easily pierced the exact center of the target.
The crown prince’s first arrow, carefully fired, trembled as it reached its target.
It is entirely his bow skill, without any hint of vis.
“As expected, Your Majesty is a master archer.”
It was a skill that did not make the praise feel like flattery. A satisfied smile appeared on the crown prince’s lips.
As someone close to a civil servant, this was the only martial ability he could show to the knights. It is worth taking pride in because the unique skill is so unique that it arouses admiration.
“Who will be next?”
The crown prince hit the exact center from the first step. Naturally, the person who steps forward next will inevitably feel intimidated.
“Surely this won’t be the end?”
Asuka suddenly became anxious and asked.
“The rule is to shoot all five arrows in turns. “The results are determined by the average value.”
The crown prince pointed his finger at a target in the distance. The target was drawn with gradually smaller circles starting from a large circle at regular intervals to the center.
The most central score is 10 points. The outermost point is 1 point. Five shots. It was not a small opportunity.
“I’ll do the next one.”
Anthony came forward willingly. His arrow scored a decent 8.
Levy’s arrow also scored 9 points. As they all got good results, Asuka’s expression became more and more determined.
Even though it is not very windy, it is not easy for an ordinary person to hit an arrow at a target at such a distance without a weapon.
However, Asuka raised her eyes in suspicion when the crown prince, who would not usually lift anything heavier than a pen, and the aristocratic masters who had taken it easy, accomplished that difficult task.
“Did you just shoot a bow all the time?”
I don’t feel any magical energy. The arrow was bent by the wind and flew away.
It is a pure archery competition with no manipulation whatsoever. Levy answered calmly.
“Archery is a basic skill for nobles in today’s empire. “His Royal Highness the Crown Prince often holds small archery competitions, so it is popular among nobles to learn archery.”
It was heard that everyone worked hard to improve their archery skills to impress the crown prince. It would not be only noble masters who did that.
Confidence was also visible among the imperial knights.
“Now that the two friends have finished their turn, Asuka, why don’t you try next?”
The crown prince suggested with a wink. As soon as Asuka hesitated, a sarcastic voice came out.
“You’re not afraid of being embarrassed, are you?”
It wasn’t Asuka if she didn’t respond to that provocation. Asuka accepted the bow and stood down.
I heard you shouldn’t use vis. Asuka is even more talented in the use of bis than she is in pure swordsmanship. It was a huge limitation.
He carefully placed the tip of the arrow on the target.
‘Please hit me!’
The tension was so strong that sweat pooled down my spine.
Since there is only a gentle breeze blowing as when the two people shot arrows before, all they have to do is shoot at a similar angle. Because I have that feeling.
Asuka let go of the bowstring almost sensuously.
Piyung! puck! Fortunately, the arrow that was fired hit the target.
“Six points.”
The crown prince narrowed his eyes and commented simply. As if that was all it took.
This was fortunate for Asuka, who had hoped to avoid an accident where the arrow missed the target entirely. With a score of 6, she was somehow close to the center.
Asuka grumbled and answered.
“This is my first time without using a visa, but this is good enough.”
The remaining four opportunities felt heavy, like piled up obstacles, but I got over them once.
Now it was the knights and Helmut’s turn. The imperial knights achieved high scores one after another.
Ralph, like the crown prince, easily won 10 points. Asuka was in last place.
‘Please Helmut!’
Although I didn’t have an obsession with being an honor student like Area, it’s natural that I don’t want to finish last. Asuka stared at Helmut, cursing and praying that her friend wouldn’t.
Since the knights took the lead, Helmut was naturally placed last.
After seeing that the last knight scored 7 points, Helmut silently accepted the bow.
Just that small movement, like sucking in air, drew all attention to Helmut.
The crown prince, who seemed to be paying attention to him, asked.
“You are Asuka’s guest. “Have you tried shooting a bow?”
“yes.”
“Are you confident you will win?”
“of course.”
There is no need to brag about yourself or hold your head up arrogantly.
Helmut’s brief words conveyed a confidence bordering on arrogance.
If anyone would show a little humility in front of the crown prince, at least to avoid being seen by him, Helmut seemed to be completely oblivious to who he was dealing with.
Winning means defeating the crown prince, but isn’t this a guarantee?
The crown prince’s eyebrows rose upward.
“Of course you can beat me?”
“I have never lost a competition.”
Helmut answered calmly, took an arrow out of his quiver and held it.
Unlike Asuka, he has done some hunting. And one more thing.
‘They say that if you reach the extreme in one state, that state also extends to other things.’
He had been watching the people in front of him shoot arrows.
Each time, the flow of the wind, the angle at which the arrow is shot, and the power of the bowstring. The principle, the ark, everything seemed as if they could be captured.
The target seemed too big to him. It’s so strange that he can’t hit the arrow in the exact center.
Even if you were asked to hit a target the size of a fingernail, you wouldn’t find it difficult.
The crown prince, annoyed by Helmut’s attitude, hinted.
“There is a penalty for last place. “It’s a penalty that might be a little humiliating.”
The crown prince’s eyes, as he devised a punishment on the spot, were filled with an unknown emotion, whether playful or not.
Although the purpose was to meet Asuka and her old friends, this event was also called to test the hidden son of Grand Duke Rinosa.
There are many things that can be confirmed through archery where maintaining composure is important.
‘Let’s put a little pressure on it.’
However, no matter what the crown prince said, Helmut responded indifferently.
“You don’t hear about the penalty until after you shoot the arrow. “I won’t be punished anyway.”
The crown prince retreated with a muffled sound. I can’t adapt. This kind of attitude is not only refreshing, but strange.
Suddenly the wind blew. I could see the garden trees shaking and dropping leaves.
It was a strong wind that made you feel as if your body was being pushed around.
It would be difficult for anyone to hit the target with an arrow at this point.
However, Helmut let go of the bowstring lightly in the wind.
Piyuung!
The arrow he shot swam leisurely through the air as if it were cutting through the grain of the wind.
The arrow, curved in a light curve, quickly reached its target.
Quack!
However, the moment the arrow hit, the leaves scattered by the wind swept past the contestants, blocking their view.
Shoot!
Everyone had to close their eyes tightly, so they couldn’t immediately see what happened to Helmut’s arrow.
The next moment, they looked puzzled.
“What happened?”
“Where did you hit it?”
“distracted… … “Is it?”
The arrow was clearly heading towards the target, and the sound of hitting it was heard.
However, there were still the same number of arrows in the target as before Helmut shot them.
Helmut blurted out indifferently.
“10 points.”
Everyone looked at him curiously. So far, only two people have scored 10 points. It was just the Crown Prince and Ralph.
There were two arrows in the smallest circle. So what about Helmut’s arrows?
It was easy to dismiss it as nonsense, but no one could doubt its truth.
He had that kind of power. An unknown force that makes us believe that even lies are true.
The crown prince’s eyebrows furrowed. He stared at the target and spat out as if he was gritting his teeth.
“Okay, 10 points.”
He then pointed his finger below the target.
“Look Carefully. “It’s my arrow.”
Helmut’s arrow landed exactly on the spot, pushing the Crown Prince’s arrow aside from the target.
The wind caused the crown prince’s arrow to fall out and fall down.
Everyone’s faces hardened as they looked at the arrow that was shabby on the floor.
This goes beyond simply showing off one’s archery skills and can be considered a provocation.
Who would have acted so boldly against the crown prince? It is not a matter of going against the rules or being punished or not.
Everyone was experiencing some kind of shock, but Asuka was the only one to blurt out without thinking.
“Wow, that Helmut guy is so angry! “I feel so refreshed!”
Fearing that someone might be his friend, he scratched the prince’s insides without hesitation.
“The next order is for the Crown Prince. I guess I can just repay it as a token of gratitude. It’s about breaking that arrogant guy’s nose. “With skill.”
Asuka is not stupid. The phrase “defeat him with skill” contained a warning not to give Helmut a disadvantage or harbor feelings of resentment for something like this.
The crown prince raised his bow with bug-bitten eyes and a cultured expression on his face.
However, the crown prince’s composure was shaken and his arrow scored a pitiful 5 points.
Asuka exaggeratedly held her stomach and laughed.
“Hahahaha! This is the lowest point. Aren’t you going to end up in last place like this? I should have told you what the penalty was and done it. “I was thinking about going around the knights’ parade ground wearing only underwear.”
Asuka looked genuinely happy. Originally, the less favorable feelings were covered before the more unfavorable feelings.
However, Asuka’s behavior was enough to scratch the insides of someone noble.
The prince’s hand, letting go of the bow, quietly held Asuka’s shoulder. The eyes were so bright that Asuka flinched for a moment.
“Your attempt to protect your friend is truly admirable, but you are going too far.”
The crown prince gritted his teeth and whispered.
“You should keep in mind that if you keep talking as much as you want, I will be able to come face to face with Archduchess Farnese at any moment and express my opinion about your etiquette education.”
After that, it was natural that Asuka’s mouth closed as if it were glued together.
