Chapter 177: Hundred Shots, Ninety-Nine Hits (2)

Amidst the tense atmosphere and with everyone’s attention focused, Vikir released his arrow.

Thwack!

The arrow soared in a near-straight trajectory before striking the target.

…Thunk!

However, the sound it made when it hit was a bit strange. It was clearly a 6-point shot.

“…6 points?!” Bianca blurted out in surprise. Her face turned bright red when she realized that she had been unconsciously talking about Vikir the whole time. Luckily, the others didn’t notice her reaction amidst their own discussions.

“Wait, what’s happening? Did he miss purposely?”

“Well… 6 points is still a score…”

“Ah, what a waste! It was supposed to be a record-breaking moment.”

Everyone was murmuring about the outcome. Those who didn’t understand archery had various theories, and as quickly as they had gathered, they dispersed.

However…

Bianca patiently waited for all the onlookers to disappear, and when the coast was clear, she walked over to the far end of the empty archery range. The targets were covered with arrows, but they would be collected later by the academy staff during the nightly closure.

Bianca examined Vikir’s target and raised an eyebrow. ‘That guy, with such limited mana, how did he even get into the academy?’

Well, he certainly wasn’t just a bookworm. Vikir’s proficiency with archery was clear. But Bianca didn’t feel any aristocratic jealousy or resentment toward him. Instead, she was driven by a sense of competition and a desire for victory.

‘Anyway, he was in great shape. I saw the muscles when he took off his clothes after training,’ Bianca thought. ‘It’s evident that he went through rigorous training.’

Archery was a discipline where even with limited mana, you could contribute significantly to the team with proper skill and precise distribution of what mana you had. Vikir, although he had limited mana, was a valuable asset to his team.

“Well, I don’t care about guys, but… he’s undoubtedly a bit peculiar,” Bianca muttered, examining the arrows sticking out of Vikir’s target.

In the center of Vikir’s target, there was a thick, cylindrical shape formed by many arrows closely clustered together. They looked like a pillar because all of them were packed tightly into one spot, making them stand out.

All of them hit within the 10-point zone, though some were shattered into multiple pieces because of arrows that had been shot into them from behind.

However, Bianca wasn’t interested in those.

She was focused on a single stray arrow, the only one that didn’t hit the target in the last shot, and ended up a few millimeters away, hitting the blue line at the edge of the target.

The 6-point shot that had cost Vikir four points, resulting in him losing by just one point.

Vikir might not care about it, but Bianca was incredibly curious.

‘Why did he shoot a 6-pointer at the end?’ Bianca pondered. It was suspicious, considering that his focus and stamina appeared fine. His previous scores had been excellent.

‘While it’s true that archery is a sport where concentration at a single moment can make or break a shot… this feels a bit extreme for the last shot.’

However, there was no other explanation.

Vikir’s drop in performance at the end of the competition was inexplicable, as his previous scores had been excellent.

“Ugh, it ended so anticlimactically at the last moment. He was unexpectedly a decent opponent.”

Bianca turned away with a disappointed sigh. However, just before she turned away, her keen eyes caught something.

“Hmm?”

Bianca hesitated as her gaze was drawn to Vikir’s target. Her eyes widened as she saw something on the 6-point arrow.

On the tip of the arrow that had penetrated the target was a tiny, minuscule insect. It looked like a very small bug, perhaps a mosquito.

‘…No way. This can’t be.’

Bianca’s throat tightened.

Her gaze alternated between the tightly packed cluster of arrows that had formed a thick pillar in the 10-point area of the target and the one stray arrow that had landed just a few millimeters away on the blue line.

The one arrow, the 6-pointer, and the tiny insect that protruded from the hole it had made.

‘Why would there be a dead mosquito at that spot? I-Is it just a coincidence?’

As soon as Vikir had shot all of his arrows, he quickly removed his archery gear. The rigorous training and the continuous use of his arm muscles had left him feeling sore.

‘Using only physical training without mana is truly something.’

He had gone through extensive archery training when he was in the Ballak tribe. Even after he left their territory, he continued his relentless practice.

‘I shouldn’t let my archery skills wither away. Even if I end up somewhere far from here.’

Despite Vikir being a Royal hound of Baskerville, he was fundamentally also a member of the Ballak hunting tribe. His bond with the jungle and their hunting prowess was deeply ingrained in his identity.

‘Ah, I wonder how everyone is doing,’ Vikir thought, recalling the nights he had spent with the people he considered his close friends.

He thought of Aquilla, Chieftain of the Ballak tribe, Ahun, who was always so cantankerous, his cute little sister, Ahul, and Bakira the wolf, who had now become a father.

“I hope they’re doing well…”

And there was one more person he thought of.

As he adjusted his necklace, he remembered the day it had been made. It was fashioned from the hide of an Oxbear, the first creature he had hunted alongside that mysterious girl.

Aiyen.

“Ah, I will… see you again.”

Aiyen was still not confident with the Empire’s official language, but it was enough to hold a basic conversation. That day, she had bickered with him and ended up kissing him to make amends.

Vikir affectionately touched the sturdy necklace that she had made, a token from their journey together.

‘And now, this has gotten annoying.’

Vikir had a very keen sense of hearing, and he immediately recognized the sound of someone approaching. It was Dolores.

‘Great…’

Dolores was not one of Vikir’s favorites, and their interactions were usually filled with him getting scolded.

This was far from an ideal situation because there was nowhere to hide in this narrow, straight path surrounded by tall fir trees. He could either confront Dolores or turn and leave, but he decided on the latter.

However, just before he could turn, he realized he had another option.

[Mask of Many Faces ‘Picaresque’] / Mask

-Tribal Grudge +0

-Human Heart in a Beast’s Form -Off

A black leather mask that looked like a dog’s head.

Vikir put that mask on his face.

And in an instant…

Tss, tss, tss…

Vikir transformed into a black puppy, a small, cute one that was appropriate for his age. He pushed his discarded clothes into the bushes and sat quietly on the ground, waiting for Dolores to pass by on the mountain path.

After a while, Dolores appeared in the distance, walking briskly and with a sense of purpose.

‘Is she going to the archery range? There’s hardly anyone there,’ Vikir thought.

He recalled that there were very few people still at the archery range, and none of them seemed to be the ones Dolores would be looking for. The only person who could be there was probably Bianca.

‘That’s right. She must be going to meet Bianca. I should get going,’ Vikir thought.

Without even realizing it, he found himself sticking his tongue out.

Right at that moment, Dolores stopped in her tracks.

She peered down at the spot where Vikir was lying.

“Haiii~ Cutie~~, who are you?” she asked in a sweet tone.

Vikir was slightly taken aback by Dolores’s friendly greeting. Was it because of this? Vikir, who was usually quick to react, didn’t anticipate her unexpected approach.

“Wow, look at this soft fur! Ooh, so shoo adorable~”

Dolores gently stroked Vikir’s head with her hand, moving down to scratch his cheeks and chin. She then used her other hand to rub Vikir’s back and buttocks.

“Wow, you’re… incredibly cute. I’ve never seen such a cute one before. What’s your name? Where did you come from? Do you want to live with me?”

Vikir didn’t have a chance to react before Dolores extended her hands, slipped them under his armpits, and lifted him up.

“Up we go~ Oops? You’re not a girl, huh; you’re a little boy~?”

For a moment, Vikir felt an unparalleled sense of shame that he had never experienced, even during the days of the Apocalypse.

Dolores had a soft and kind appearance that matched her friendly exterior. It seemed that her role as a devoted dog lover was genuine. She donated part of her limited income to an animal shelter and volunteered there every other month.

And it was at that moment that a chilling statement came out of Dolores’s mouth.

“By the way, if you want to live with me, your big sister, you’ll need to be neutered…”

Vikir realized he had no reason to listen to such a horrific suggestion. He quickly made his escape.

Hurry up!

The little black furball escaped from Dolores’s embrace like an arrow. His slightly protruding pink tongue was quite cheeky.

“Oops! Hey, don’t run away. Come live with me! I’ll buy you a pork cutlet! Come here, Choco!”

Dolores called him Choco and looked disappointed, even though she had already given him a name. But Vikir didn’t spare even a single glance behind him.