The Male S*ave of the Count Sianella Family

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“…Kek!”

A short cry of despair burst forth from the thicket.

Having an arrow pierce any part of my body, of course, could never be a pleasant experience.

The space that was once filled only with the sound of wind was now saturated with noise.

It was neither as low and resonating as a goblin’s, nor as light as a wolf’s growl.

Sure enough, the entity I had shot at in the bushes was one of the many kobolds wandering around the pathway.

“Kobolds travel in packs.”

Their bodies covered in brown fur, they bore a resemblance to goblins but with faces akin to dog heads. Kobolds never roam alone.

Strangely enough, they seem to have a decent brain—because they know that when they exist as individuals, they become weak and small.

Moreover, they can wield sharp weapons and crude bows. The varied attacking methods of kobolds are enough to irk any hunter.

They swarm in packs, engaging in ambushes and raids, sometimes displaying even more cunning than those goblins.

And at this point, no one here was unaware of the traits of kobolds. Team members began to draw their weapons at the signal of the arrow I shot.

Yet all their eyes were directed at me.

“Hm…”

It was certainly surprising; I had shot an arrow and managed to kill a kobold I didn’t even know was there.

Especially since it was a sight to behold for a man—not your typical skilled archer from the region known for her prowess.

It was no wonder their attention was drawn to me.

Most notably, it was Siabel Shianella and another woman who seemed particularly interested.

Siabel turned her body, facing the thicket where the kobold’s cries had come from, and drew her sword.

At the same time, she flashed a satisfied grin while casting a sideways glance at me.

She seemed to find it amusing that I had caught the presence of the kobold she had missed.

And as for the other woman…

‘Was it Flora?’

Another archer aside from Shione and me.

She certainly exuded the aura of an archer, but unlike the seasoned team members, her every action was tinged with awkwardness and a hint of disappointment.

From a distance, she had been carefully observing Shione and me, and now seemed eager to strike up a conversation about my skills.

‘Looks like my potential conversational partner has increased.’

At this rate, it’s clear she’d want to chat after we finished off the kobolds.

Well, since I would be spending a few more days face to face with the members of this team, having a little conversation wouldn’t be too bad.

I gave Flora a small nod as a greeting.

“…!”

Flora looked surprised as if she hadn’t expected me to return the gesture, then she quickly bowed her head in response.

Well, that archer seemed only to linger at this point.

“Get ready. There are likely kobolds hiding nearby.”

I casually remarked while readjusting my stance.

Hearing my words, Shione also nocked an arrow and began scanning the surroundings.

As she stealthily approached me, she quietly asked:

“…How did you know there were kobolds over there?”

It seemed my master was curious about the method of discerning hidden enemy presence.

I replied in a voice just loud enough for her to hear.

“Well, at first, I noticed it by instinct, but what confirmed it was what I heard. The rustling in the bushes remained consistent regardless of the wind’s strength.”

“Really… I could only hear the wind. That’s impressive.”

“If you concentrate on your senses and channel your mana, I’m sure you could yield meaningful results as well.”

Just then, as Shione nodded at my words, she suddenly heard—

Krrrooo!

Kek!!

Just when my comrade had called out to me in a frozen manner, the kobolds hiding in the thicket charged at us.

Despite being clever monsters, due to their dog-headed appearance, they chose to fight rather than flee before us—perhaps their fate was sealed from the start.

The swordsman moved forward, while the priest took the rear. The archer protected the priest and supported the combat. In an instant, a proper formation was established, and the real battle began.

“Don’t hit our allies.”

“…That goes without saying. Don’t worry about it.”

“Still, with the wind strong like this, it’d be wise to be even more cautious.”

“Of course…!”

Shione let loose her arrow.

The icy projectile flew toward its target.

The direction was…

“Ah…?”

Wait, I thought we weren’t supposed to hit our allies.

Why was that arrow flying toward the soldiers brandishing a kobold’s head as a shield?!

Just as I hurriedly prepared to grab the female priest’s hand and dash away—

Fortunately, Shione’s arrow didn’t bury itself into the soldier’s back, but shot past him.

Swoosh!

“Kaek…”

It actually pierced the brow of a kobold who was about to leap toward the soldier.

Seeing the kobold fall helplessly, Shione grinned widely.

“How was that? Did you see?”

“…You pierced it right through the brow.”

“Right? Hehe.”

Shione was riding a high from her accomplishment, looking oddly proud of herself.

She withdrew another arrow from her quiver and said:

“From now on, you should call me ‘sister Shione.’”

What on earth was she talking about, saying to call her “sister”?

I silently pulled two arrows from my quiver.

I channeled my mana. Strengthening my body just enough to draw the bowstring wouldn’t be noticeable at all, so I awakened my body without hesitation.

Using the pinch style to draw the bowstring with my thumb and index fingers, I swiftly loosed two arrows in succession.

Since my mana was infused with the spirit’s energy, I felt the mana slumbering in my heart awaken, and the bow responded faintly.

As the bent bow returned with greater elasticity, the arrows flew faster than any I had shot before.

In an instant, two kobolds were struck through the eye and head.

“If calling you ‘sister Shione’ is the way, wouldn’t ‘uncle’ be more fitting for me?”

“…Please call me ‘brother.’”

As I chuckled at Shione’s words, she followed suit with a bright smile.

Amidst such light-hearted banter, the battle continued.

Truly, those swordsmanship lessons had paid off.

With elegantly executed slashes, countless kobolds’ heads tumbled to the ground.

Every time Siabel confidently flicked her sword, one or two lives fell victim to the chilling ordeal.

But Siabel wasn’t the only one cutting down kobolds.

The soldiers in front, pushing forward with shields, thrusting their swords, exuded considerable vigor as well.

As the heat of battle intensified, it didn’t last long.

*

I wondered how many more battles lay ahead.

If I carelessly shot arrows without sparing any important moments, it couldn’t end well.

After the battle, Shione, Flora, and I gathered together to recover the arrows.

While gathering arrows, Flora kept glancing at me as if she wanted to say something, but tethered tightly to my side was the young lady of the Count’s House.

Seemingly discomforted by Shione Shianella’s presence, Flora ended up saying nothing at all, quietly picking up arrows.

‘Next time, I suppose I should try initiating a conversation with Flora. This is it for now?’

I picked up the last arrow lying on the ground.

As I straightened my back and surveyed the surroundings, it appeared Siabel and the soldiers had nearly cleared away all the kobold corpses blocking the paths.

I decided to wait for them as they completed the last of the clean-up. Feeling the chill returning after the after-battle warmth, I called out to my master.

“Lady, did you gather all the arrows?”

“Yeah, I collected them all… wait, what?”

“I inquired if you gathered all the arrows.”

“No. But more importantly, about what you just said earlier.”

“Lady?”

At my calling her “lady,” Shione’s eyes grew wide.

Her lips began to curl upwards, going back and forth before she cautiously inquired.

“Um… why all of a sudden ‘sister’?”

“I said you should call me ‘sister Shione’ during the battle. Is that displeasing to you?”

For a moment, Shione seemed deep in thought, as if wondering if such a question was necessary.

After a short while, she finally replied with a complex expression, both regretful and as if she had made the right choice.

“Hmm… I think it would be better if you just called me Shione as usual.”

Seeing her reaction was quite amusing, instead of simply agreeing, I posed another playful question.

“May I ask why that is?”

Shione’s face nearly exploded in embarrassment at my question.

Then she slowly approached me and whispered in my ear.

“…If I’m your sister, then you can’t call me ‘brother.’”

Having whispered this, Shione suddenly pulled away and roughly removed her fur hat.

She must have thought that was an utterly embarrassing thing to say.

It seemed she was trying to cool the intense heat rising from her cheeks.

As I observed her, Siabel Shianella slowly approached us.

As Shione welcomed her sister, she quickly put her fur hat back on.

The first to speak to Siabel was me, who was somewhat closer to her.

I lightly bowed my head before speaking.

“Thank you for your hard work, Lady Siabel.”

Siabel crossed her arms, staring at me intensely.

“Disappointing, Ray.”

Out of nowhere, she expressed disappointment.

I was bewildered, unsure why she would say such a thing, and I tilted my head in confusion.

Siabel stroked her chin thoughtfully and continued.

“Don’t you call me ‘sister’?”