Sword, Magic and Academic Society

Vol. 1 - Ch. 45 - First Equipment (3)

The testing place the clerk sister led me to was a facility with lanes of boxes lined up next to each other. Appearance-wise, I guess it resembled battle cages.

"I am Rouge. I assume it's your first time checking out a bow, dear customer?"

"Yes, it's my first time trying one!"

I replied.

"In that case, I would recommend trying out this short bow. It's called the 'Lygo Bow', coming from the Lygo trees whose wood it has been made out of. The wood from Lygo trees in itself is quite strange in fact, featuring a sturdy exterior but supple interior almost as if it was made for bows. The bows made from this wood also retain their simple appearance for ages. Its string is made from the processed leg tendon of a monster called Papi. It's quite cheap, though it pales in comparison to bows made from multiple synthesized materials, and is easy to maintain. It’s something I would recommend if you're a beginner. Can dear customer use Body Strengthening Magic?"

At my nodding, Rouge-san took me to a lane with a 50m testing range. The biggest lane, located at the deepest section, offered a 300m distance testing range, and a brawny man was there pulling the string of a staggeringly big bow while aiming through a scope.

"Lygo bows are given a rating of 5. So let's start with the lightest one, which has an effective range of 50m and a maximum range of 150m."

After a rundown on the basics like how to hold the bow, the stance, how to nock an arrow, and all that from Rouge-san, I made my move. The arrow I fired found its way below the 50m target by quite a margin.

"Impressive, are you really using a bow for the first time, dear customer? You definitely have a knack for it. Though, I am more astonished by your strength."

They might just be some empty praises, nevertheless, I was a bit delighted at the compliments.

"I guess dear customer will not have any problems with pulling Lygo Bow No. 4. Its effective range is 90m while its maximum range is 270m."

Rouge-san handed me another Lygo bow.

I see, its grip certainly was thicker and sturdier than the previous bow. I recalled the trajectory from when I drew the Lygo Bow No.1 earlier and the phrase '90m effective range'. With that, I adjusted my aim slightly above the target and pulled the bowstring.

My arrow slightly grazed past the target's upper part.

"...Are you perhaps a student of the Royal Academy?"

The sudden question caught me off-guard. I really didn't feel like using my false alias to introduce myself. She sounded like a nice person, and I also wanted to further consult with her. Ugh, but using my real name when I had only revealed my false alias to the Deputy Manager earlier sounded like a recipe to invite trouble......

While I was going through my internal monologue, Rouge-san snickered.

"Fufu. It's an amazing feat to achieve that, so dear customer doesn't have to put on such a complex expression and should be more proud. I guess sir customer must have some backstory?"

"...I am fresh out of a faraway countryside, so I’m not quite used to the preferential treatment that the Royal Academy students receive. That's why I’m delighted with the normal customer treatment I’m getting from you. By the way, how did you figure it out?"

Rouge-san smiled in amusement upon hearing my reply.

"I only usually see others delighted when at the receiving end of preferential treatment, and puffing out their chest at various praises. And to answer dear customer's question, your usage of body-strengthening magic is truly exceptional, to say the least, given your age. Furthermore, many would have to exert some effort in pulling the bowstring with body-strengthening magic, however, dear customer's breathing remained composed all this while. It's easier for the arrow to miss the mark to the left and right with a loose grip and an unstable output. And the Royal Academy is just nearby, so I thought maybe, and I guess I hit the mark."

Oh? That made sense. Mana control was relatively proportional to the given output of one’s body-strengthening magic, after all. Any young boy with a low mana amount wouldn't be able to keep their hands from wobbling, even if they managed to pull the bowstring.

"I’m Allen… Well, please call me Pork. I introduced myself as such to the Deputy Manager earlier."

Rouge-san burst out in laughter after hearing my confession.

"Rundo isn't that bad. The Branch Manager is quite an obstinate person and hates the pompous students of the Royal Academy, so it's he who always gets the short end of the stick. Ah, but keep that a secret, alright?"

A bit pulled in by her mischievous wink as she tapped her finger to her lips, I smiled wryly. But at the same time, I was slightly relieved to see her not showing any particular reaction to hearing the name 'Allen'.

"Back to the topic, I believe dear customer can handle Lygo Bow No.5 with ease. So, what do you think? I’ve seen dear customers furiously taking note of the price tags, so I presume you must be short on cash. But since you're a Royal Academy student, you can get a loan with minimal interest. You can also choose a better performance bow with enough money as well."

A loan, huh…? I was pretty confident of returning it, but with my previous life’s values, I didn't want to resort to it if possible. I might as well consult with her.

"What do you suggest, Rouge-san? As you have figured out, I’m just a rookie explorer and I don't have enough information to make a decision. Personally speaking, I would want to sort it out within my budget and later upgrade them as I earned more money..."

The smile on Rouge-san's face visibly broadened at my response.

"My, that's admirable of you. Students of the Royal Academy often mistake the performance of their weapons with their own abilities, relying on their financial strength and tending to focus on appearances. I would recommend starting with the simple Lygo Bow No. 5 and gradually honing your basic skills. Come now, try this one. Its effective range is 100m."

I readied the bow she handed to me and carefully nocked the arrow before releasing it. The arrow this time pierced just slightly above the target's center.

"Splendid! I must say, you really have a knack for the bow. I think this might have given you enough of an idea about your choice.”

I was delighted with her appraisal and asked if I could make one more shot. My thoughts revolved around the advice she just gave on 'honing my basic skills'... The power of an arrow relied on the bow's properties so I guess she must have meant my accuracy and rotational speed.

I received another arrow from Rouge-san, nocked it, and adjusted the aim to slightly below the target while re-enacting the body-strengthening magic output I had used earlier. Similar to how I practiced my sword swings, I immediately dispersed the effect of my magic the instant the arrow was shot and watched as it flew toward the target while maintaining my vigilance.

The arrow this time struck right on center.

Rouge-san's eyes widened to the extreme and her face made an exaggerated expression, apparently showing her disbelief at the result. I didn't know how much she was really surprised, and how much of it she was faking as a customer service employee, but at least I was content to surprise her this far.

I recalled the refreshing feeling that washed over me when the arrow hit the bull's eye. I knew I had fallen in love with the bow at that point.

???

"Prodigy… Though, I don't think just that word alone is enough to sum it all up..."

Rouge-san said so with an earnest expression when I informed her I was buying Lygo Bow No.5. I was honestly flattered.

My original plan was just to check it out, not to buy it...... Well, whatever. I’d just let the wind decide the future.

"You flatter me. But I would mostly attribute it to the still target and a lack of wind inside the facility, I still have a long way to go. I only have 1500 rea in my budget, so I would like to cram in a dismantling knife, leather armor, and a storage bag to carry the materials. I don't mind the tool's rank, just have to fit it within my budget. Oh, and how many arrows should I purchase?"

The Lygo bow cost me 1000 rea, so I was now left with 1500 rea.

"...Good grief, I’m surprised by your calmness. Also, I believe you can have the Academy provide you with normal wooden arrows with iron heads. High-performance storage bags can be expensive, and for those with regular features, you can always borrow them from the Explorer's Association depending on the task. How about saving that for later?"

What!? I didn’t know I could have arrows free of charge! What a happy miscalculation! And yeah, I guess I’d just save the storage bag for later and make do with a rental one. Well, now I only need a knife and a breastplate...

"Umm, do you have the 'Zaimura Firm' dismantling knife? My esteemed senior was fond of his custom-made knife, so I would like to try it out as well..."

A troubled expression appeared on Rouge-san's face after hearing my request.

"Our store does have ready-made products, but this will be out of your budget. They cost 10,000 rea at the minimum. For custom orders, it wouldn't be strange to go up another digit in terms of cost."

Ack, I thought it was just your average tool seeing how Riyad-senpai casually used his knife for grilling to roast the meat. I should have seen it coming since he was the son of a major company owner, and he was a B-rank explorer himself after all. No matter how hard a dragon tries to hide its presence, it still gives out clues, huh?

"Oh, then let's drop it. Can I ask what you can recommend to me?"

Rouge-san smiled at my response and asked me to accompany her. While we were making our way to the knife section, Rouge-san suggested.

"Dear customer still have classes to attend, so I believe your range of activities should focus on the capital's outskirts, right? The elemental monsters in this area aren't that strong so I would recommend beginner explorer-oriented leather armor manufactured by our store's own brand. It's light, easy to move in, and easy to slip out of by removing the base cloth. Of course, its endurance is on the lower end of the spectrum, but it's relatively cheaper in comparison. It should work for now."

"I’ll have that then."

I immediately decided on it. I mean, I didn't even know the 'a' of armor quality. Besides, she seemed to be a nice person, so I might as well ride on a professional's advice. It's not like I had deep pockets to choose otherwise.

"This leaves the knife. Please wait for a short while, I will swiftly bring out my recommendation."

Rouge-san said her words and disappeared into the back of the store.

Just as I was waiting, my classmates, whom I had completely forgotten about, approached me.

"Oh! We finally found you, Allen. We searched around but you vanished like a ghost, where were you all this while?"

"Allen?! So he's indeed Allen Rovenne!"

Al, out of his uncontrolled enthusiasm, ended up calling me by my name in front of Branch Deputy Manager Rundo, revealing my identity. ‘Crap’, Al's expression said as much, but the cat was out of the bag at this time.

...What was done was done. I was also almost done with my business here, so it was alright, I guess.

Just then, Rouge-san came back from the back room holding two knives.

"I made you wait. Oh, your friends?"

"Branch Manager! Didn't you say you’re going out?!... You’ve just returned, right!? Righhht!?"

...Branch Manager? I glanced at Rouge-san who mischievously stuck out her tongue.

Let me get this straight. So the obstinate, Royal Academy student-hating Branch Manager in her words was herself...? What a mess, I don't get it...

"Allen. So you completely forget about us just to take your sweet time shopping with the pretty elder sister over there and flirt with her. Explain."

Hey there, Fey. Don't make things messier than it already was...

(For Editor - So, dear customer was my edition. Since JP can also work by keeping pronouns out of the sentence, Rouge didn't use any 'you' 'dear customer' etc to address Allen. Should I remove it, or keep it?)

T/N - Well, I had an inkling. So she was indeed the branch manager. And what a chapter without Fey's own delusion huh... Reminds me of those last decade light novel heroine's with running gag/catchphrases.

EN - Obviously the expert elder sister type clerk was actually the Branch Manager. One of the oldest cliches in the book. ?