Recently, Hintleyya hadn't received any instructions from Roy for a long time. Although this was obviously a good thing, for Hintleyya, who was the Platinum Position, it was also somewhat subtle. In the past, the amount of time she could rest in a month was very limited; resting for more than three days was considered a blessing. But now, she'd been slacking off for almost a whole month. This wasn't logical. Could it be that they were planning to fire her and find a new Platinum Position?
That would be great; she'd wanted to quit for a long time!
Hintleyya's lips curved into a slight smile. If she could retire from being the Platinum Position, she would definitely support it with both hands and feet. However, compared to that, she was more worried that if she were truly abandoned, she might also be put on an assassination list... After all, it was an assassin organization; there was only death in the line of duty, no retirement.
Hintleyya recalled a movie she watched in her leisure time, where the protagonist was a retired assassin who wanted to live a good life. But then his partner died, his partner's dog died, and his car was stolen by others, forcing the retired assassin to return and go on a rampage. Some people just watch movies, while others see themselves in them. Hintleyya also wondered if she would go crazy if she ever found herself in such a situation.
Washing one's hands of the dirty business - that's just asking for trouble...
Hugging the cat in her arms, Hintleyya's eyes were filled with melancholy. If it were her, it would be losing her job, her cat running away, and being hunted down.
She didn't have the powerful abilities of the assassin in the movie to go on a rampage. She'd probably struggle a bit, then 'retire' like her master.
Sigh, why did she ever get on this pirate ship?
Hintleyya was still thinking when she heard the cat cafe's door creak open. Standing at the entrance was her current boss, Noah Guillerette.
"Miss Hintleyya, have you been staying in the cat cafe for too long recently?" Noah asked. For some reason, Hintleyya suddenly felt the awkwardness of being caught slacking off. She immediately sprang up from the pile of cats with a carp-like flip, "I'm going back to my post!"
"Wait a moment, I'm giving you a day off today." Noah reached out and grabbed Hintleyya, who was trying to slip away past her. "Do you have time? Accompany me somewhere."
Sweating profusely was probably what this felt like. Hintleyya didn't know what to say at this point and could only nod in agreement. However, Noah didn't say much more; she simply called a car and took her, Kuro, and herself to a building. Hintleyya looked up in confusion, and she didn't know if it was her imagination, but she suddenly had a feeling that her identity might have been discovered.
After all, why would someone bring an employee to an archery range?
Had they discovered that her identity was problematic? Had they already confirmed that she was from the Shieldless League? Then why not just fire her... Or was this a test? These thoughts flashed through Hintleyya's mind, but Noah had no intention of answering. Instead, she pushed her wheelchair, accompanied by Kuro and Hintleyya, into the venue. They changed into uniforms and protective gear, then each took a bow and went to the fixed target shooting range.
"I remember you saying you knew a bit about archery, Hintleyya?" Noah finally spoke. "So I specifically brought you here to play; consider it a way to relax."
Hintleyya looked at the bow and arrow in Noah's hand and asked with some confusion. "I don't mind... but Boss, are you... going to shoot too?"
"Yes, I want to try." Noah caressed the bow in her hand, a nostalgic expression on her face. "Don't look at me now; I used to be very good."
"I see..." Hintleyya didn't disbelieve her, after all, she had already investigated and knew that the former Noah was most skilled in archery. It was just that she probably hadn't used a bow and arrow in a very long time.
Shooting fixed targets was not difficult for Hintleyya, or rather, for the Platinum Position. Drawing the bow and releasing the arrow, her posture was standard. As the arrow pierced the bullseye, Hintleyya naturally achieved a perfect score of ten rings. It was no exaggeration to say that her archery skills were among the best of her generation, but only among the younger generation. The few superiors above her were all far more skilled than she was.
As the mechanical voice reported the score, Noah placed the bow on her lap and gently clapped. "That's very impressive, Miss Hintleyya!"
"Hmph, after all, this is the only skill I'm proud of." Hintleyya was quite pleased with the compliment. "And I haven't stopped practicing all these years, so this level is to be expected. I could hit the bullseye every time even from ten meters further!"
This was no joke. The compound bow Hintleyya used earlier had a strong draw weight, truly a powerful bow capable of piercing armor. Her arm strength was formidable, and coupled with excellent eyesight, she had always been the most outstanding archer among her peers since she first held a bow.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been targeted by the Shieldless League—
"Miss Hintleyya is so amazing, I'm almost too embarrassed to show off." Noah smiled and picked up the bow from her lap. Like Hintleyya, she nocked an arrow. Her hand was very steady, showing signs of very rigorous training. The moment she drew the bow, Hintleyya also noticed a slight change in her expression. It was as if the instant she drew the bow, her attention completely focused on one point—a deep, thorough concentration. Then, with a 'thwip' of the string, Hintleyya had no doubt that this arrow would hit its target.
For a moment, she even forgot the fact that Noah couldn't see. So when she looked at the target, her expression froze.
Although the arrow did land on the target, it was a very marginal three rings...
This isn't logical... The posture, the aura, and the technique of that archery shot just now were all perfect. Hintleyya found it somewhat hard to accept, but the mechanical voice wouldn't lie and directly reported the score.
"Is that so... three rings." Noah's expression flickered slightly, and she shook her head. "Indeed, it's still not possible."
After losing her sight, she had considered many ways to assist her shooting without vision, but the effects were all very poor. Now, simply ensuring she didn't miss the target was her limit.
... Hintleyya was at a loss for words, unsure how to comfort Noah. She even felt a bit of resentment towards the mechanical voice, but it was meaningless. Noah herself knew this might be the outcome; she just wanted to try.
However, Hintleyya racking her brains did yield a result—she suddenly grabbed Noah's hand. "Come with me, I know another place where we can practice shooting. I prefer it there."
"Eh?" Noah was dragged by her wheelchair to a new venue. Only then did Hintleyya stop. "How about we try something more challenging, like trap shooting?"
...Trap shooting?" Noah was startled at first, then seemed to think of something and said with a smile, "Perhaps, that's true."
---------------------------------
If you'd like to read the next 40 chapters in advance, you can support me on Patreon.
I regularly post chapter previews there, so you'll always be up-to-date and won't have to wait too long.
patreon.com/SolyuraMT
And if you enjoy the story, don't forget to give me a Power Stone. Your support really motivates me to continue translating!