Encounter (2)
Chapter 138
Lately, Phillip’s County had been on guard against outsiders.
With the knights having recently returned after showing off their skills, it wouldn’t be strange for other noble families to send people to cause trouble, big or small.
Matthew also knew the situation and had been careful with his words and actions recently.
However, in such a time, an unfamiliar figure was spotted loitering around the orphanage, inevitably drawing a more sensitive reaction than usual.
Had the stranger been human, it might have been difficult to immediately tell whether they were a local or from elsewhere. However, the one Matthew discovered was an elf.
Elves were incredibly rare to find in this area.
“Who are you?”
Matthew drew his knife.
Mineher only then realized her concealment had failed, and that her hood covering her face had slipped halfway down.
Her face was exposed, and she had even shown how something hidden by these individuals could affect her.
After a brief silence, Mineher decided to kill Matthew to silence him.
She couldn’t fully understand what exactly Phillip’s County did, but exposing her identity would be especially troublesome.
Mineher took a step toward Matthew.
Perhaps because she had moved out of the range of whatever was causing negative effects, her twisted arm returned to its original state.
Smiling faintly, Mineher swept her hand across her chest.
Tssk!
Mineher began to turn transparent.
Simultaneously, she grasped a dry twig at her waist.
Though it looked insignificant, it was a branch from the World Tree—one among countless branches extending from it, so it didn’t possess overwhelming power. But in the hands of an elf, it was another story.
Mineher nocked an arrow onto the naturally curved branch of the World Tree.
Drawing back the thin fingers imbued with mana, she released the arrow.
As the arrow left the string, an unknown force accelerated it.
Swoosh!!
“!!”
The elf disappeared, only for Matthew to panic and swing his sword when an arrow suddenly appeared mid-air.
The arrow’s speed was too fast to confirm clearly with the naked eye.
Still, relying on his honed instincts, Matthew successfully deflected the arrow.
Crack!!
Even though his sword was infused with Sword Aura, he couldn’t cut the arrow cleanly in half.
The arrow’s trajectory twisted as it passed Matthew and struck the ground with a heavy sound.
The earth cracked as if hit by a bomb.
Matthew swallowed hard, looking somewhat discomfited.
He had thought some random elf had wandered into the territory, but it turned out to be a genuine elf sniper—a Sharpshooter, specialized in stealth and long-range attacks.
A fully trained Sharpshooter was feared even by knights.
“…”
Matthew completely lost track of the elf’s presence.
While retreating would have been blissful, it was clear that since the first strike had already been made, the elf would see it through to the end.
Sweating profusely, Matthew wondered how he could scream loudly enough to get help quickly without alerting anyone unnecessarily.
But realizing he was standing right next to the orphanage, he frowned.
If he screamed too loudly and children came rushing out, they might get caught up in the crossfire.
“Damn it.”
At the moment he cursed, a strong pressure was felt at the back of his head.
Reacting quickly, Matthew spun around and swung his sword again.
Clang!!
He managed to deflect the arrow aimed at the back of his head but failed to alter its trajectory entirely, resulting in a torn shoulder.
Despite his efforts to deflect several more arrows, Matthew couldn’t locate the elf, who remained completely invisible.
Only when the arrows were fired could Matthew briefly gauge the position.
He realized the elf was a formidable Sharpshooter.
‘What rotten luck…’
He couldn’t hold out much longer.
The elf was likely controlling the power of the arrows to minimize noise; otherwise, the fight would have ended sooner.
Matthew hesitated about whether to shout for help one last time.
He worried that staying silent might result in more victims, but bringing out the children from the orphanage could lead to their deaths at the elf’s hands.
Of course, his own life was valuable too.
His sword trembled slightly under the weight of complex emotions.
Just then, a familiar voice called out from behind.
“What are you doing?”
“?!?”
Both Matthew, startled, and Mineher, even more so, reacted.
Mineher had been keeping her senses sharp for any unexpected threats, yet she hadn’t detected Jimmy approaching until he spoke.
Recognizing her mistake, Mineher assessed the situation upon seeing her new opponent.
‘A frail old man in menopause…’
It was clear why she hadn’t sensed him due to his weak energy.
Without hesitation, Mineher aimed her bow at Jimmy.
There was no need to put much force into killing such a frail old man.
Swoosh!
An arrow shot from the frail old man’s direction.
Mineher confidently believed the old man’s head would explode upon impact.
Indeed, the frail old man didn’t move an inch until the arrow was almost upon him.
But.
Boom!!
“…?”
The frail old man casually grabbed the flying arrow with his hand.
Staring repeatedly at the arrow held by the frail old man’s hand, Mineher’s ears perked up.
Jimmy’s eyes slowly turned toward Mineher.
Realizing Jimmy’s gaze had accurately pierced through her concealment, Mineher couldn’t accept the absurdity of the situation and tried shooting another arrow, this time with full force.
Zing!!!
The trajectory of Jimmy’s drawn sword created a half-circle, shattering the arrow instantly.
Recognizing the elf as a clear “enemy,” Jimmy’s demeanor shifted dramatically.
The feeble energy around him transformed into a calm yet massive current enveloping the surroundings.
His stiff shoulders broadened, and the wrinkles on his forehead smoothed out.
Though his lost hair didn’t regrow, it was evident that standing there was no longer a “frail, old man in menopause” but a powerful superhuman.
Mineher’s twitching ears stopped abruptly.
“Cumyoo…”
Muttering an elfish curse, Mineher stepped back.
Continuing to operate in this crazy county was madness.
Attempting to flee, Mineher wasn’t easily let go by Jimmy, who had already engaged her.
“Ho, where are you going?”
Koom!!
With Jimmy’s sword swinging, imbued with Sword Energy, the dirt and rocks along its path vaporized.
Reconfirming that her vision wasn’t faulty, Mineher immediately kicked off the ground.
Starting to run while deploying her unique elven concealment technique perfectly, she was still tracked down precisely by Jimmy’s keen sense.
Jimmy chased Mineher, and Matthew followed, shouting.
“Capture the elf!!!!”
Mineher repeatedly muttered “Cumyoo.”
She couldn’t comprehend how such a mad place existed.
Until arriving at Phillip’s County, she had underestimated it as a minor territory located on the frontier.
But once inside, she found experts everywhere, and now, to her dismay, even a graduate-level warrior had emerged.
Mineher ran with all her might, but the situation worsened.
Jenkins, on patrol, noticed Jimmy and joined the chase.
Trying to shake them off with arrows, Mineher found each one shattered by Jimmy’s sword swings.
“If I can just reach the mountain range…!”
Once inside the mountains, escape would be much easier thanks to the terrain.
However, it was clear she’d be caught before reaching Sigini Mountain Range.
Upon receiving the signal, two knights appeared on horseback, all wielding skillful Sword Auras.
Mineher needed another plan.
“Hostages…”
Yes, taking a hostage was necessary.
While some knights cared little for the deaths of commoners, based on her observations, the knights of Phillip’s County weren’t that cold-blooded.
Still, capturing just any commoner wouldn’t ensure her survival; it had to be the child of a family with some authority.
Desperately turning towards a crowded area, Mineher scanned her surroundings.
Fortunately, a suitable hostage candidate was nearby.
Pushing through the parting crowd, Mineher pulled out a dagger, pressed it against the hostage’s neck, and shouted.
“Everyone, stop!!”
Jimmy, Matthew, and the knights halted abruptly.
The remaining townsfolk quickly fled the scene.
Taking a deep breath with the hostage in tow, Mineher tensely said.
“Step away from me!! Right now!! Or I’ll kill this kid.”
The sharp blade gleamed menacingly against the hostage’s neck.
Seated in a wheelchair with a dagger pointed at his throat, Ray shouted heroically.
“Knights, don’t worry about me…!!”
“You, shut up!”
Pffft!
Struck on the shoulder with the hilt of the dagger, Ray trembled in pain.
“Ugh, frustrating!”
Watching Ray’s frustration, Jimmy and Jenkins couldn’t hide their wry expressions.
*
Ray’s body had mostly recovered, and he no longer needed the wheelchair.
On a lark, Ray decided to take the wheelchair for one last spin before returning it, pushing himself along with ease.
While leisurely strolling through the county and contemplating heading home, the surrounding commotion grew louder.
Jimmy, Matthew, and the knights were chasing a concealed elf, whose presence Ray naturally sensed.
Considering whether to follow them in his wheelchair, the elf suddenly changed direction.
Among the gathered crowd, the elf’s eyes lit up upon spotting Ray.
Proper wheelchairs weren’t mass-produced items.
The fact that Ray used a meticulously finished wheelchair implied he came from a well-off family.
Mineher didn’t know who Ray was.
Although she was aware of the squire “Ray,” the boy in front of her was in a wheelchair, and the prominent scar on his face was gone.
“Ugh, frustrating!”
Captured as a hostage, Ray initially smiled but subtly adjusted his expression.
He could have easily smashed the elf’s head and interrogated them, but he didn’t want to give up the entertainment that had come his way during an otherwise dull day.
Practically speaking, playing the hostage role briefly to extract information could be beneficial.
If there were accomplices nearby and he could be led to them, it would be far more advantageous than capturing the elf outright.
Winking with one eye to convey his intent, Ray saw Jimmy rub his brow.
Somehow, Jimmy had reverted to looking older.
“Ugh…! Cowardly, elf!”
“Shut up and back off!”
“Ahh, alright. Alright, calm down, elf.”
Jimmy awkwardly acted and took a step back.
Seeing the effect of holding a hostage, a smile crept onto Mineher’s lips.
Ray, meanwhile, grinned contentedly at an angle Mineher couldn’t see.
