(Attendance… plz…)
….
Almost an hour and a half had passed since Reinhard and the rest of the group arrived at Carne Village. The deadline Nfirea had set for their departure to the nearby forest was fast approaching. Since it would be getting late soon, they would likely be staying in the village for the night after gathering the required herbs.
With time to kill, Momon and Nabe had spent the latter part of that wait walking the perimeter of the settlement. There was no urgent objective behind the patrol. Momon simply possessed an idle curiosity, and standing around waiting did not suit him. He had informed Nfirea that he would be inspecting the immediate vicinity for hostile monsters, though the likelihood of an attack was exceedingly low. The forest bordering Carne Village was the domain of the so-called Wise King of the Forest, a beast whose presence alone seemed to suppress lesser monster activity.
Their patrol concluded, the two armored adventurers re-entered the village. Momon had expected to find the exact same scene he had left behind.
Instead, he was met with an absurdity that brought his armored footsteps to a halt.
Before his walk, Momon had stood by and watched the villagers running through rudimentary combat drills. A makeshift practice range had been constructed on one side of the settlement. At the time, Momon had offered genuine, silent praise for their resilience. They had learned the harsh lesson of their reality: a magic caster would not always be watching them through a mirror, ready to swoop down from the sky and save them. The kingdom's knights would not arrive in time, just as they had failed to do during the last massacre. If danger fell upon them again, they would have no one to rely on but themselves.
To see ordinary farmers, and even young children, gripping spears and learning to fight monsters was a grim sight. It was a far cry from the peaceful lives children ought to lead. Yet, this was a medieval world governed by swords and magic. Survival required adaptation, and they were adapting.
That earlier observation was not what froze Momon in place now.
His exterior remained a picture of stoic calm beneath the dark helmet, but his mind was spinning. He stared at the archery range, trying to process the sheer impossibility of what he was witnessing.
What in the world happened in the last hour?
When he left, the villagers assigned to the bows had been a miserable sight. They had struggled to draw the bowstrings, their arms shaking from the tension. The few arrows that managed to fly forward had either buried themselves into the dirt or sailed wide of the wooden targets entirely.
Now, those exact same individuals were standing with their feet perfectly spaced. Their breathing was rhythmic. Their shoulders were relaxed yet firm, and their draws were smooth.
Thwack.
An arrow struck the target. It did not just hit the wood. It struck dead center.
Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.
Every single villager on the line loosed their arrows, and every single shaft found the center of its respective target. The ones who had previously managed to at least hit the edges of the wood were now grouping their shots tightly in the bullseye. The novices who could not even hold the weapon properly were hitting the mark with terrifying consistency.
From the perspective of a modern soul like Suzuki Satoru, it looked like blatant cheating. Magic certainly existed in this world, but magic had rules. If they had access to a spell or skill that produced this level of accuracy, they would have used it when the village was attacked.
In YGGDRASIL, there were numerous enchantments and items designed to enhance a player's aim, providing steep statistical bonuses that ensured a projectile would strike its mark every time. Yet, Momon could not detect the glow of any active spells or the aura of magical gear. There were no magic casters present who could have cast a mass buff. If a high-tier caster had been hiding in the village, Enri would have told Nfirea, and Nfirea would have mentioned it.
Momon scanned the practice range again. The villagers were ordinary humans. But to any seasoned archer watching them now, they moved with the fluid, practiced grace of veterans.
"What happened here?" Momon muttered aloud.
Beside him, Nabe blinked, her face entirely impassive. She looked at the archery range, then back to the dark knight. To her eyes, there was nothing out of the ordinary, and certainly nothing worthy of her master's surprise. The humans were acting like ants. The fact that the ants were organizing their dirt slightly better than they had an hour ago did not elevate them beyond insects.
"Is something the matter... Momon?" Nabe asked.
She delivered the alias smoothly, displaying enough situational awareness not to call him Master in an unsecured environment. Despite his internal confusion over the archery, Momon felt a distinct swell of pride. It was akin to how a father might feel watching his child succeed, even if he lacked the biological framework for the emotion.
Before Momon could formulate an answer regarding the villagers, rapid footsteps approached from the side.
"Oh, you guys are back! We are just about to go to the forest to collect herbs. You came right on time."
Momon turned his helmeted head, postponing his correction of Nabe. Nfirea was jogging toward them, his chest heaving as he panted heavily for breath. The boy clearly lacked physical stamina.
Playing the role of a detective was rarely the optimal strategy when a direct source of information was volunteering itself. Momon decided to just ask.
"Yes, we have," Momon said, his deep voice resonating from the armor. "If I am not wrong, you stated we would leave in an hour, so we timed our patrol accordingly. Though... it seems something has happened in the village while I was not present."
Momon directed his gaze back to the villagers, who were now casually lowering their bows to inspect their perfect groupings.
Nfirea followed Momon's line of sight. Realization dawned on the boy's face, accompanied by the exact same surprise Momon was currently suppressing.
"Oh, about that! You guys are surprised by that too, just like I was," Nfirea said, scratching his cheek with a sheepish laugh. "I don't exactly know how it works, since I'm not really talented in that category. But apparently, they have somewhat of a talent in archery. Reinhard just helped them out."
Momon remained silent, prompting the boy to continue.
"He just went over and corrected the faults they were making," Nfirea explained, gesturing toward the range. "He adjusted their posture, shifted their weight distribution, and showed them how to breathe. He told them where to look and what to do at the exact moment of release. And surprisingly, they learned it fast. They understood exactly what he was talking about right away."
Nfirea pointed a hand at the villagers. "And this is the result. I still can't believe they are this good in such a short amount of time, just from Reinhard giving them some pointers. I didn't know he was so skilled at archery too."
Nfirea shook his head in open admiration. "I don't even know what they are doing as adventurers. Someone with that level of mastery in teaching and improvement could easily be hired by a noble for a fortune. Maybe he has a Talent for teaching, similar to my own Talent."
Reinhard again, Momon thought.
Momon had already acknowledged the red-haired knight's abnormal strength. From what he had observed, Reinhard was likely stronger than the Slane Theocracy knights, and perhaps even stronger than the angels they had summoned. But raw combat power was one thing. This was something else entirely.
"Are you sure it was Reinhard, and not Felt?" Momon asked.
It was entirely possible that Felt, Reinhard's master, possessed some strange ability, and Reinhard was merely acting as her proxy while she applied a localized buff. It was better to confirm the details now rather than entertain false assumptions later.
"No," Nfirea answered. "Actually, Felt was resting under a tree the entire time. She was just watching them practice."
Momon processed the information. He understood the concept of refining a stance. Eliminating wasted movement and learning the proper mechanics of a bow would naturally lead to a significant increase in accuracy. It was also true that certain geniuses existed in the world, individuals who could replicate a martial technique perfectly after seeing it only once.
But a whole village of geniuses? That was impossible.
If these villagers possessed such overwhelming latent potential, it would have blossomed long before today. It would have surfaced the moment the Theocracy knights attacked, driven by the sheer desperation of survival. Instead, they had been entirely helpless.
For a group of terrified farmers to master archery in a single hour simply because a knight corrected their breathing... it defied the foundational logic of physical conditioning. It was as if the necessary muscle memory and physical experiences had been forcefully implanted directly into their nervous systems.
Momon considered the implications of an ability that could instantly bestow mastery upon an entire group of people. If that was truly a skill Reinhard possessed, the man's value, and his threat level, had just skyrocketed.
"Is something wrong?" Nfirea asked, his voice dropping in volume. "Is there a problem of some sort?"
The boy was looking at Momon with mounting anxiety. Given that Nfirea knew Momon's true identity as the undead ruler who had saved the village, any prolonged silence from the dark knight was bound to invoke fear.
Momon realized his silent analysis was causing unnecessary panic. He shook his head slowly.
"No," Momon said, his tone even and reassuring. "I was merely surprised at their growth in just an hour. That is all. On another note, we should get going. It is getting late, and the forest will be dark soon."
Nfirea let out a visible breath of relief and nodded hurriedly. "Yes, you are right, we should get going. Reinhard and Felt are ready as well. Just give me five minutes to grab my gear, and then we can head out."
"Take your time," Momon replied. "We will wait at the gate."
While Nfirea jogged back toward the village center to gather the equipment he would need for the harvest, Momon and Nabe made their way toward the settlement's entrance.
....
Five minutes later, the gathering party assembled at the gate and set out onto the dirt path leading toward the forest.
The woods weren't far from Carne Village. At their current pace, it would only take fifteen to twenty minutes to reach the tree line.
Nfirea drove the cart from the front. Reinhard and Felt occupied one side of the back, while Momon and Nabe sat opposite them.
Despite physically leaving the village behind, Momon's thoughts remained locked on the archers. He just couldn't help it.
He hadn't detected any power level increases or active enchantments on the villagers. Even if a spell had been used, a temporary buff would be meaningless for their long-term survival once the duration expired. Permanent stat-boosting enchantments did exist, but they were incredibly high-tier magic. If someone had cast magic of that magnitude, Momon would have sensed the residue.
Could it be a secret class? Something he had never seen or heared in YGGDRASIL, or perhaps an some other limited time spell that had never been discussed online?
He had stepped out of the tomb knowing this new world would require endless preparation to protect Nazarick, but he certainly hadn't expected to encounter so many inexplicable variables this early on.
It was entirely possible his cautious nature was just making him overthink a harmless anomaly. But he would gladly accept the stress of overthinking if it meant preventing a worst-case scenario.
"So, did you encounter anyone or anything in the forest?"
Momon blinked beneath his helmet, pulled back to reality by Nfirea looking back at him from the driver's seat.
"Forest?"
"Didn't you go scout around the forest to see?" Nfirea prompted.
Right. The excuse. Momon had been so tangled in his own deductions he had actually forgotten his own cover story.
"Ah, yes. We went," Momon replied smoothly. "But we didn't find anything, just as you said. I didn't find any monsters in the proximity. So relatively speaking, this trip should just be gathering herbs and coming back. Unless something unexpected happens."
Momon always accounted for the unexpected. He built backup plans upon backup plans for every scenario. But for this specific outing, he actually intended to orchestrate the unexpected himself. He was counting on the Wise King of the Forest making an appearance.
Slaying a legendary local beast was the perfect shortcut to raising his adventurer rank and cementing his fame. It would also serve as the perfect stress test to see exactly what else Reinhard was capable of in a live combat scenario.
Now it all depends on Aura's pets, Momon thought.
"You went alone?" Reinhard asked, a frown crossing his face. "You should have informed us. We could have helped you."
"There was no need for so many to scout," Momon answered. "We only scouted the perimeter that was necessary. More people would have just been unnecessary at that point."
There was no way Momon was going to bring anyone along. He needed that window of isolation to contact Nazarick and issue orders for this exact operation.
"I see," Reinhard said. "Well, if that is the case, we would have just gotten in the way."
Momon was relieved Reinhard didn't pry further. He glanced across the cart. Felt was leaning back, yawning openly, entirely uninterested in the conversation. It was written clearly on her face, she was bored.
The cart continued its steady trudge toward the tree line, the group exchanging only brief, idle chatter along the way.
...
..
.
"Can we please keep her? Please, please! I'll walk her. I'll clean up after her. I'll brush her hair. I'll feed her. I promise she won't cause any trouble!"
"Lady Felt, I don't think we can."
"Why? Can't you see how cute she is? How can you say no to her?"
"But, Lady Felt..." Reinhard started, glancing down at the 'she' in question behind his master.
Seeing that Reinhard wasn't agreeing with her, she decided to do something he wouldn't be able to refuse.
"Reinhard, we are keeping her and that is final. We can't let her be in the forest, what if she gets eaten by some monster? Will you take responsibility for that?"
Felt stood her ground, pointing a demanding finger at her knight. What had started as a strong suggestion had instantly escalated into an absolute command the moment Reinhard showed reluctance.
"Oh, so now you are going to defy my order?" Felt crossed her arms, eyes narrowing dangerously.
"..." Reinhard fell silent, his posture sagging in defeat.
A few paces away, Momon watched the exchange in total silence.
This is certainly something I wouldn't have imagined happening in this scenario, at this place, Momon thought, staring at the completely unforeseen complication now joining their party. I think this just proves that however small a possibility that is, it's still a possibility of truth.
….
A/N: ahem ahem long time no see guys:)
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