Chapter 94
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: Friends Aren't Eternal. (6)
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There wasn't much distance left until Shassen, but Kane's group decided to stay overnight in Colpid and get some proper rest.
Considering the sun hadn't set yet, they were giving up on half a day's worth of travel.
But there was no helping it.
This was Rin's first assigned quest, after all, and they'd rushed nonstop to the Mera Alliance over the nearly two weeks it took to get here due to a slight obsession with making good time. Both their bodies and minds were utterly exhausted from hardly ever staying in proper inns.
So they bought a decent meal, secured good rooms, and everyone retreated to their individual private quarters.
Soma and Rin, both A-rank adventurers, had plenty of money to begin with, and Kane still had a good chunk left from the pocket money(?) Emperor Karr 17th had given him before, so getting single rooms was no burden.
"Phew. I'm more tired than I thought."
Kane let out a deep sigh as he flopped onto the bed.
It was a comfortable bed earned after three straight days of sleeping outdoors, so he could already feel sleep rushing in.
Traveling abroad isn't easy.
He wished they at least had a carriage, but even with their financial leeway, buying one along with horses and footing the bill for maintaining them over two whole months was a stretch.
So they'd chosen to go on foot.
With their level of physical prowess, walking was actually more efficient than riding anyway.
"The mental fatigue is the real issue, though."
He'd never walked this far for so long before, so his mind was taking more of a beating than his body.
Still, they were almost there.
And since they were taking the whole day to rest properly, he could tough it out.
...I was thinking of hitting the library if I had time, but now that I've eaten, I'm too wiped to even consider it.
For Kane to pass up a library.
That said it all about how beat he was.
Fine, I'll sleep early, wake up, and swing by before we head out.
Of course, Rin and Soma knew full well that once he stepped into a library, it'd be at least five or six hours, so they weren't about to let him.
Kane drifted off with those thoughts, slowly closing his eyes.
Just as he was on the verge of sleep.
Screeech─ thud.
"...?"
The sound of someone roughly opening the window drifted in.
This floor's just the three of us, right?
Which meant it had to be Soma or Rin.
Window must've been stuck.
Normally, he'd wonder if something shady was going down.
But he was far too exhausted right now.
Kane brushed it off as nothing and sank into sleep.
"......"
The moment Rin entered her room, she scanned outside the window with a grave expression.
Normally, she'd plaster her ear to the wall drooling over the fact that Kane was next door, desperately listening for any sounds from his room.
Not this time.
The reason...
Something was definitely there.
Back at Colpid's gates.
She'd definitely felt it.
Faint, but unmistakable...
"Demonic energy..."
It was clearly the stench of a demon.
A trace so faint no one else could sense it.
But with her exceptional mana detection aptitude, she'd caught it for that split second.
She'd even sensed mana before Jenny could, once upon a time.
So Rin didn't think it was a mistake.
Especially not demonic energy, the power of demons. She could never confuse that.
She'd felt it gushing out from inside her own body before.
Something connected to a demon is nearby.
The demon itself?
Or demon possession?
Or maybe a summoning about to begin somewhere.
Rin considered every possibility and thought about heading out for a quick scout.
If a demon had really appeared or signs were manifesting...
This city would be in danger.
Just as she moved to step outside.
"...?!"
She felt it.
Flying straight toward her.
Demonic energy thick with condensed malice!
Invisible.
Even her mana detection barely picked it up.
Anyone normal wouldn't sense it at all.
But she noticed.
And ducked her head in a hurry.
Thwack!!
Suddenly, an arrow embedded itself in the empty wall as if conjured from thin air.
"Wh-what?!"
A pitch-black arrowhead like condensed shadow.
But the moment she saw it, it melted away and vanished.
Seeing that, Rin knew for sure.
Something was there.
This wasn't just a precursor.
It was targeting her, plain and simple.
No, maybe I'm not the only target.
It might not be just her.
Maybe Kane or the whole party.
Or hell, maybe the entire city already...
She quickly scanned her surroundings.
Kane and Soma were fine.
No changes in their mana or bodies.
The people around were normal too.
This attack was definitely aimed at her.
But even if it was just her, an attack laced with demonic energy would likely affect bystanders.
Dangerous...!
She was worried, but Kane right next door was in even greater peril.
If he got caught in it, he'd be badly hurt or worse.
Daring to... put Sir Kane in danger?
That offended her more than being targeted herself.
With Kane right in the next room.
With that thought, Rin flung open the window and leaped out.
Thud! Boom!
She hit the ground running.
She'd already pinpointed the arrow's direction.
Faint, but if she sharpened her senses to the max...
She could track it.
"I'll kill you."
Her eyes clouded over, her face hardening coldly.
Chilling mana swirled around her, frost forming on the ground in her wake.
A magic staff was suddenly in her hand, its two mana stones gleaming.
The Hero of the Bow.
This one called "Ser," dubbed the Divine Archer.
She possessed an extraordinary ability no one else had.
True, undetectable stealth.
That alone made her incredibly formidable.
But the real marvel was applying that ability to projectiles.
To "arrows."
Arrows that no one could detect.
Invisible, silent.
No mana signature.
They could even pierce through windows or thin walls once or twice.
The ultimate unavoidable strike, destined to hit.
Of course, such a tremendous power came with heavy restrictions: only once a month.
And after using it, physical abilities plummeted catastrophically.
But since even the user couldn't detect themselves, it wasn't a huge risk.
If that penalty let you fire one unerring arrow per month at anyone...
It was an awesome power.
In fact, he'd used it countless times to handle the dirty jobs commissioned by the Mera Alliance council.
Especially embedding mediums directly into curse-resistant heroes to curse them.
Firing those "Curse Arrows" for over a century.
How could a short-lived hero manage such work for over a hundred years?
It tied directly to why heroes died young.
His Curse Arrows were the cause.
The Curse of Short Life.
This curse had been spread by the Mera Alliance itself.
And Ser was one of the key players.
Thanks to that, he was immune to the curse.
Instead, he'd embraced new power from the Mera Alliance, drastically extending his lifespan to survive over a century.
His abilities had skyrocketed too.
Before, his stealth wasn't this absolute, but with the new power, even the famed Harkur couldn't detect his arrows.
So he figured this mission would be a breeze too.
She lacked Harkur-level physical prowess.
Just some nobody who could fling ice magic.
"Farewell... Time to clock out..."
He'd timed it for when Rin entered her room alone.
Ssshh─
With the hero's innate strength, he drew back the tough bowstring, aiming at her from what felt like nearly a kilometer away.
No bow could reach that far.
But immense power, the resilient string, and mana...
Together, they made the impossible possible.
Twang!
The moment he released.
No sound of the arrow flying.
It hurtled toward the target at insane speed.
A mere inn window without mana wards? Penetration ability handled it.
Unavoidable, he thought.
But.
"...Huh?"
She dodged.
Ducked her head at the last instant.
How?
Ser's mind filled with that word.
Detection was impossible.
Even Harkur hadn't dodged it.
He didn't think he'd messed up.
Not in over a hundred years. Not once.
He couldn't chalk it up to a freak accident this time.
He couldn't even track the arrow's path himself.
Only knew it hit true after impact.
So, just a random duck?
No, he'd felt it.
A deliberate evasion, sensing danger.
"Ah..."
Then it hit him—this wasn't the time for pondering.
He saw his target fling open the window and leap outside.
He had to flee.
If she sensed the arrow, she could detect his stealth too.
Even if not, she'd read its trajectory.
She'd come straight here.
And sure enough, she was charging right at him with murderous eyes locked on his position.
"Qu-quick..."
For the first time in ages, Ser felt his life in peril.
Using the stealth arrow had dropped his physical stats to that of a somewhat trained civilian.
No way he could outrun Rin, a hero specialized in magic or not.
Hide.
He hadn't been fully suppressing his presence earlier, just relying on stealth, so maybe that's how she spotted him.
If he hunkered down and masked his aura properly, she might not find him.
So Ser strained his weakened body to hide as best he could.
Of course...
"Huh? Not even running? No... Don't tell me you think hiding like that won't get you caught?"
"U, uwaaaah..."
It was all for naught.