Chapter 71

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As I swiftly unpacked my belongings and checked the condition of my bow, Eden observed me with curiosity, puzzled by my sudden behavior. While inspecting the arrowheads and ensuring the bow's frame wasn't misaligned, I spoke to him.

"Eden, check the sword."

"Why all of a sudden?"

"Please, just do it."

Though he appeared confused, he obediently complied with my request. After all, there was no reason to neglect weapon inspection. As he unbuckled the tightly bound leather strap around the scabbard, Eden's gaze suddenly sharpened.

"Stay still."

As he uttered to me, I paused what I was doing and held my breath.

After a moment, Eden muttered.

"How did you know?"

"What?"

In response to my question, three men suddenly leaped out, and almost instinctively, I swiftly nocked an arrow onto my bow.

"Urryaaahh!"

Perhaps being a smaller woman compared to Eden, who was a man, they all rushed towards me while Eden came running over.

In that moment, there was no time to think. Even though it was true that I'd been practicing archery in the palace every day, my targets were stationary, like trees. I had never been taught what to do against men running at me with axes.

...Axe.

It reminded me of Henry Jacques on the hunting grounds. The image of Henry Jacques wielding a battle axe on the hunting grounds flashed in my mind with each blink. Without hesitation, I released the bowstring, and the arrow sliced through the air.

Puk!

"Arrggh!"

Fortunately, my arrow found its mark in the left eye of one of them.

It was truly a stroke of luck. As the man hit by my arrow staggered backward, frothing at the mouth, his companions were momentarily distracted by the scene.

'Now...!'

Instead of shooting another arrow, I swung my bow at them.

Puuk!

I aimed for the arm holding the weapon. Even though my strength was lacking, the man didn't drop his weapon, but his grip loosened as if his wrist was hurting.

"Eden!"

In an instant, Eden's sword shimmered with flashes of light. Seizing the opening I created, he skillfully diverted the attention of the three men towards himself.

The four of them engaged in a tangled fight.

At the same time, my hands trembled as I hurried towards a barrel of arrows. I couldn't just stand there and watch.

I aimed my arrows quickly.

The men's movements slowed down due to their injuries from the scuffle. However, that didn't guarantee my arrows would hit their mark.

I bit my lip and hesitated for a moment, not wanting to accidentally harm Eden, before releasing the bowstring. The arrow soared swiftly, but regrettably, it missed its target. Still, it grazed one of the men's temples, causing him to turn his gaze reflexively towards me.

It was a great opportunity for Eden.

A few minutes later, we were catching our breath on the ground where the three bandits had fallen. Eden, bleeding from his right arm after being struck by their axes, furrowed his brow and asked.

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⏰ Last updated: Feb 20 ⏰

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