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The Kalia Marquis Family, which had nearly faced the troublesome demon, seems to have finally stabilized to some extent. It seems that the contract made with Siabel has progressed, and the carefully prepared return gift has recently arrived at the Count’s House.

Perhaps due to the friendship among noble families and the many precious items involved, Ainel has supposedly stored them in her personal warehouse. Shione received word that she was to take them this morning, and she held the key to that warehouse.

“The castle walls were breached, and there was considerable damage to both the outer and inner regions. It seems the promised items have arrived faster than expected,” Shione remarked.

“I heard that recovery efforts are still underway… the Count’s House suffered greatly too, so they probably paid extra attention to sending these,” came the reply.

“Ah.”

“The various business discussions between Sister Siabel, the Marquis, and Lady Eunice seem to need more time. It appears they aren’t ready to fulfill more complicated contracts yet.”

“It must be tough. The Count’s House has been grappling with issues ever since the war ended,” Shione reflected.

“We’ll get through it somehow. After all, it’s the kingdom’s Marquis Family,” came the unwavering reassurance.

We arrived in front of the warehouse.

It looked like they’d converted an empty room near the head of the family’s office into a warehouse. The main building where Ainel resided had a lot of guards, and it seemed that she typically kept the key to the warehouse. There was even someone stationed at the entrance to check visitors.

Curious about what was inside, I observed the fortified entrance. The woman guarding the warehouse stepped aside upon seeing Shione.

With a click—

As Shione turned the key, a cheerful sound echoed from the lock mechanism.

Collecting the key, Shione placed her hand on the doorknob, her expression brimming with excitement like a child engrossed in a treasure-hunting game.

“This is my first time in Mother’s personal warehouse. There must be incredible things in here, right?”

“Certainly. Since Ainel has reached a masterly level in managing the head of the family’s warehouse,” I replied.

Just like how an archer adores a perfectly fitting bow, a swordsman is obsessed with a finely honed sword. Especially when it comes to the best swordsman in the kingdom, I too found myself eager to explore the treasures within.

But as Shione and I approached with expectations, we were soon met with either disappointment or simply a sense of longing at the rather ordinary sight of the warehouse.

“It’s more mundane than I thought.”

“…Yeah. There are indeed many swords, but none of them truly seem remarkable. Most appear to be gifts from events or other families.”

The warehouse was neatly organized.

However, the extravagant spectacle we had anticipated from the Count’s House was absent beyond the door.

Of course, there were some elegantly designed swords for the events, as well as many magical weapons bearing the emblems of other families, but there was nothing worthy enough to truly be called a famous sword that could send shivers down one’s spine just by looking at it.

“I’m sure the truly important items are stored separately… I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up.”

Putting aside our initial disappointment with the various items, I began to look for the objects that had been sent from the Marquis Family.

Fortunately, there was a paper in front of the items with our names written on it. We inspected the weapons that had arrived beneath our names.

“Just the right amount has come.”

The weapon was indeed tailored to my usual preference for a short sword.

From the finish to the complex craftsmanship, it’s evident that a superb artisan had crafted it, reflecting both sharpness and remarkable durability on the blade.

Since it’s a sword that I’ll use only when necessary, I quickly set it aside.

The most important thing would be this.

“Arrow quiver and arrows.”

Typically, one would expect new bows to be sent.

Neither Shione’s nor my bows were easily attainable.

It appeared that we’d dug into a different pile entirely.

As I examined the arrows sent by the Marquis Family, I noticed something peculiar.

“These are—”

While arrows are merely consumables, these arrows were distinctly different from the usual.

Starting from the stiffness of the shaft to the perfection of the arrowheads, the most notable feature was the magical circle engraved on the flat side of the arrowhead.

The identity of that magical circle was easily discernible from the description on the paper with our names attached.

“…These arrows allow for immediate retrieval after being shot.”

The Marquis Family had certainly provided us with something intriguing.

After battles, we wouldn’t need to scavenge for arrows. If used well, they could serve as handy tools to create new unpredictable tactics.

Shione was also examining the arrows, which bore the same retrieval ability as mine.

“Recovery is done with this quiver,” she mused.

They must have spent considerable resources creating these in the Marquis Family. It must have taken a talented wizard to craft them.

“Returning arrows… it certainly would be convenient. It seems the magic is embedded in the arrowheads, so even if the shafts break, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Indeed. With these, mock battles with the Knights’ Order will be much easier.”

“The Knights’ Order…? No matter how excellent our special forces knights are, they wouldn’t be able to dodge if Ray shot at them.”

“Like this—”

I poured mana into the arrow and tossed it lightly forward.

The sensation of the arrowhead connected to my mana emerged. I focused my will on that connection, hoping for it to return, and the arrow came to a halt midair before promptly flying back to the quiver.

“If we manage to control it well enough so it doesn’t hit anyone, it should be fine, right?”

“What if it hits?”

“I don’t intend to shoot with that thought in mind… but if it does hit, well, that’s just unfortunate.”

“……”

“Plus, we’ve got a priest in our Knights’ Order. If the arrows hit softly, it won’t hurt much.”

Moreover, not only would my range in attacks improve, but that of our knights would certainly rise too.

After I passionately explained the advantages of this training, I ultimately drew out Shione’s curiosity.

“…Should I give it a try too?”

“Is there any reason not to?”

She had been shy about accepting my duel proposals until now.

If Shione does propose a duel, could I really escape from it?

 

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