English Translation – Part 21: A New Skill
Part 21 – A New Skill
Finally, I arrived.
I opened the door and saw that the interior of the house had returned to its old, ruined state—the way it was before Hiroshi entered.
"Master Hiroshi, I'm here."
No response. I called out again.
"Grand Master Hiroshi!"
At last, he appeared.
Hiroshi: "So, you came. Let's see… did you bring the bow?"
"Yes," I said, handing him the bow.
Hiroshi examined it from every angle, testing it in several ways.
Hiroshi: "Your bow is useless."
"What? Why!?"
Hiroshi: "First, the weight must suit your age and strength. Second, the length and width must match your arms. Third, this bow can't withstand much force. It's no good for long distances, and it lacks durability. That's why it's worthless."
"Damn it… I paid four gold coins for this!"
Hiroshi: "Don't be upset. For now, it's fine since you don't know much yet. But from now on, you'll call me Grand Master Maito. Understood?"
"Yes, Grand Master Maito. Can we start now?"
Hiroshi snapped his fingers. The ruined interior transformed into a vast meadow. Several arrows appeared in his hand, floating as if summoned.
Hiroshi: "If you can pull the bowstring, I'll give you these arrows. Try it."
I pulled the string easily.
Hiroshi: "How did you do that!? I couldn't pull it the first time. How could you?"
"Well… actually, in my previous life, my grandfather was a hunter. He had both a rifle and a bow. Since childhood, I loved bows. I used to take my grandfather's bow and pull the string over and over."
I lowered my head.
"To be honest, Master Maito, I was so eager to learn before coming here that I practiced pulling the string again and again."
Hiroshi looked at me with suspicion, clearly unconvinced.
Hiroshi: "I'm not convinced… but fine."
He handed me one of the arrows.
I tilted the bow, pulled the string, and tried to shoot—
Hiroshi: "What are you doing, idiot!?"
He smacked the back of my neck.
"Why did you hit me!?"
Hiroshi: "Which fool holds a bow like that? Tilting it and pulling the string like that will destroy the bow before you even shoot—and you'll injure yourself!"
"…But I thought it looked cool. I saw it in stories and movies—heroes always tilted the bow when shooting."
Hiroshi: "Idiot! On the battlefield, enemies won't give you time to fix your stance. They'll attack immediately. Never tilt your bow. Here, let me fix it."
He grabbed my hand, straightened the bow, placed my middle and index fingers under the arrow, and told me to try again.
I pulled the string. The arrow slipped out but didn't fly.
Hiroshi burst out laughing.
Hiroshi: "I knew this would happen. I just wanted to see your reaction when you failed."
"Damn you…" I cursed under my breath.
Hiroshi: "Alright, let me show you properly."
With his guidance, I tried again. The arrow flew, but only a few meters ahead. After several attempts, I finally managed to shoot correctly.
---
Later that evening…
Why does this never end?
He told me to craft a bow using walnut wood and silk string. But there were problems: we were in the medieval era, and walnut trees didn't exist here. Luckily, the church helped by sending me walnut wood, and I managed to obtain silk thread myself.
Another problem: I didn't know how to craft it. My hands kept getting injured, and nothing worked.
So I returned to Hiroshi.
Hiroshi: "Why are you back?"
"Master, I couldn't do it. I don't know how."
Hiroshi: "Idiot! I told you to do it calmly and carefully, not while angry. You need patience and focus."
After much hardship and struggle, I finally completed the bow.
End of Part 21