Chapter 111

The match is 6 to 6.

Both sides had allowed one mistake each.

And the remaining arrows were three each.

These three arrows would decide the outcome.

When it was her turn, Aisia nocked an arrow and silently looked at the wound on Mari’s arm.

Despite the wound already starting to split, Mari had gritted her teeth and fired the seventh arrow, worsening the injury and staining her sleeve red.

It was clearly a significant pain, yet Mari showed no sign of distress, focusing on how to shoot the next target.

Seeing this, Aisia suddenly spoke to Mari.

“Marisia. Do you really want to become an adventurer that badly?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“If you become an adventurer, wounds like the one you have today will become a daily occurrence. You might even suffer injuries far worse than today’s. Maybe… you could even die. That’s what it means to be an adventurer. Do you understand…?”

Aisia spoke with a desperate hope that Mari might reconsider even now.

“Yes, I understand.”

“…!”

But before Aisia could finish, Mari answered with a confident tone.

Startled by her firm voice, Aisia looked at Mari and saw a burning passion and resolute determination in her eyes.

It wasn’t just the recklessness of a naive young elf; it was the mature gaze of someone who knew the risks but had accepted them.

When had Mari, whom she had always thought of as a child, grown so mature?

“Ugh…”

“I’m worried about you!”

Aisia, feeling an inexplicable sadness, bit her lip and released the bowstring.

*Pew*

But the arrow she shot, unable to control her emotions, missed the target.

It narrowly missed the mark.

“…Don’t you understand that I’m opposing this because I don’t want you to get hurt?”

But Aisia didn’t even check the trajectory of her arrow, instead looking at Mari with a sad voice.

It was the honest side of Aisia, who had always hidden behind anger.

A fragile side that seemed like it would shatter at the slightest touch.

“I know. I know how much you love me…”

So,

Mari turned away from Aisia, who looked like she might cry, and nocked an arrow.

*Pew*

…

*Thud!*

The result was a hit.

That was Mari’s answer.

Knowing that Aisia was worried about her, Mari wanted to prove her abilities and earn recognition.

It was something she should have done earlier.

But back then, she had lacked confidence, unsure of herself, and afraid of not being acknowledged.

So, Mari had run away, leaving Aisia behind.

She had chosen to disappear instead of proving her worth.

But now she knew that was the wrong choice.

So, even if it was late…

Mari wanted to show it now.

That she was no longer a child.

“…But because of that, I want you to support me, Mom.”

“…So?”

But did that feeling not reach Aisia?

Her voice was cold as she heard Mari’s resolve.

She wasn’t looking at Mari’s eyes but at her sleeve.

The red stain on her sleeve was growing, and blood was now dripping through the fabric.

Mari’s resolve was unshakable.

‘If I leave her like this, Mari will leave me and become an adventurer.’

And someday, she might suffer injuries far worse than today’s, or even permanent disabilities.

Or perhaps…

At the worst thought that crossed her mind, Aisia clenched her teeth.

‘No. Mari is my only family… If I lose her too, I…’

The tears that had welled up in Aisia’s eyes had dried.

Instead, she calmly drew the bowstring with sharp, determined eyes.

There was no outburst of emotion like before.

But that didn’t mean Aisia felt nothing.

Rather, a darker, more viscous emotion had settled deep within her.

Feeling that cold emotion that chilled her mind, Aisia released the bowstring.

‘Then I’ll stop you by force if I have to…!’

*Pew*

…

*Thud!*

Her ninth arrow hit the mark.

Seven out of nine arrows had hit.

“Mom…”

Despite showing her true feelings, or perhaps because of it, Aisia’s resolve seemed even firmer, and Mari looked at her with sad eyes.

Even though her persuasion hadn’t worked, Mari couldn’t resent Aisia for her choice.

But now, the only option left was to break through with sheer skill, and that thought filled her with sadness.

“Still… I’ll prove my abilities to you, Mom.”

*Creak*

With that, she drew the bowstring to shoot her ninth arrow.

*Throb*

“…Ugh!”

The pain from the wound on her arm.

Despite the wound already splitting, she had continued to shoot arrows, and now the injury was worsening.

The bleeding had also increased.

Feeling dizzy and in pain, Mari struggled to focus but aimed at the target as best as she could.

*Pew*

…

But perhaps because she had overused her arm, or maybe because the ninth target was just hard to hit.

Her arrow narrowly missed the mark.

Now, seven out of nine arrows had hit.

The score between Mari and Aisia was tied again.

But the equality was only on the surface.

Aisia’s miss was due to the emotional turmoil from their conversation.

But Aisia had now firmly decided not to allow Mari’s journey, eliminating any emotional wavering.

In contrast, Mari’s miss was due to her stamina deteriorating from the wound on her arm.

And as time passed, the growing wound only disrupted her focus with each shot.

With one arrow left, victory was clearly leaning in Aisia’s favor.

“…Marisia. I don’t want you to go outside the village and face danger. That’s why I’ve been trying to persuade you through conversation.”

“…”

“But if you won’t listen to me from now on… I’ll force you to stay in this village.”

With only one arrow left, Aisia took a cold breath and nocked the arrow.

“Why did it have to be an adventurer… If only you had dreamed of something else, I could have…”

“…I’m sorry. But Kurt once told me something.”

“Told you…?”

“Beyond this Elf Village, at the end of the continent, there’s a sea where tuna live. They have to keep swimming or they’ll die, so they swim their whole lives without rest.”

At those words, Aisia stopped looking at the target and turned to Mari.

Mari’s eyes were now filled with tears, ready to spill over.

Yet, Mari didn’t wipe her tears and continued speaking.

“I think I’m like a tuna. Traveling is so fun and enjoyable… The past few months as an adventurer have been so happy… So I can’t give up. I’m sorry.”

“…Were you that happy? Happier than being with me?”

“I’m sorry. I love you, Mom. I love you more than anything in the world. But still… I love adventure too.”

“I see. I understand.”

After hearing those words, Aisia turned her gaze back to the target.

There was no more conflict or pain in Aisia’s heart.

It felt like a tangled thread had finally been unraveled.

The final arrow of the ten-arrow match.

With the calmest mind she had during the entire match, Aisia released the bowstring without hesitation.

*Pew*

…

The arrow missed.

But she felt no regret and instead spoke to Mari.

“Then there’s nothing I can do. Truly… They say no parent can win against their child. I’ve lost this match. Let’s go back and treat your wound. It seems to have gotten worse.”

Aisia’s declaration of defeat was calm.

Despite her desperate efforts to stop Mari, in the end, she no longer cared about winning or losing and seemed relieved.

It seemed like her final test had come to an end.

“No. It’s still my turn.”

“Marisia…?”

“So you won’t worry anymore… I’ll prove myself with my final arrow.”

The test was already over, and Aisia had admitted defeat.

The wound on her arm had split long ago, and even drawing the bowstring felt like being stabbed with needles.

The final target was one that even in perfect condition, Mari would have struggled to hit three out of ten times.

Objectively, there were countless reasons for Mari not to shoot the final arrow.

But subjectively, none of those reasons could stop her.

If she went home now, told Kurt and the others the good news, and treated her wound, this story would end happily.

But a mere happy ending wouldn’t erase Aisia’s worry from her heart.

No, even if she hit this arrow, it wouldn’t completely alleviate Aisia’s concern.

But if this final arrow could ease her worry even a little,

Mari could easily ignore the pain and draw the bowstring.

As she drew the bowstring, Mari thought about her past shortcomings.

Because she had run away without properly taking the test, Aisia had lost faith in her.

When she faced the A-Dragon, her weakness had held back Karina and Serena, forcing them to protect her and fall.

The helplessness she felt then.

It was all because she was lacking…

So she wanted to show it.

Though she seemed carefree and optimistic on the outside, not everything about her was so carefree.

Though it was only a few months of travel, through that journey, Mari had felt, experienced, and grown a lot.

She poured all those emotions into her fingertips.

Her trembling fingertips, once shaking from pain, now settled calmly.

Her vision, once blurred by tears, now seemed clearer than ever.

The final target, which usually seemed small, now appeared magnified.

She could read the direction of the subtle wind as if seeing it with her eyes.

She naturally understood the trajectory her arrow would take.

So, without hesitation, Mari released the arrow.

*Twang*

…

*Thud!*

The final arrow she shot left a faint blue afterimage as it hit the bullseye.

---