CHAPTER 24: THE MAGIC ARROW HERO

After blasting away the mud dolls, Laura and I exited the half-destroyed (that was my fault) tent. 

What laid ahead wasn’t a pleasant sight to see.

Mud dolls were crawling around all over the place and chasing around students. The students were running amok while desperately shooting Magic Arrows.

Two people were fighting the Water Spirit from this afternoon by the lakefront. That was most likely Flin, and… who’s that?

“Albert!”

Laura’s voice.

She pointed in the direction of around ten mud dolls.

They’re all huddled together for me.

That makes things easier.

“Magic Arrow.”

Together with my voice—

The group of mud dolls were shredded to atoms.

“A-… Amazing…”

Laura gasped beside me.

“It’s hardly that impressive. Come on, let’s go and help Flin.”

While blowing away mud dolls, I headed to the lakefront where Flin was.

It happened when we were en route.

“N-NOOOOOOOOO! SOMEONE! SAVE MEEEEEEEEEEE!”

I heard a woman’s voice.

When I turned to the voice, some female student I didn’t recognize was being pushed down by mud dolls.

She was on the ground, so I guess that makes aiming easier…

I fired my spell, making sure not to hit the female student.

“Magic Arrow.”

The upper body of the mud dolls were obliterated, as though they were violently blown up by a cannon. The mud dolls scattered to the ground.

“Hey, you alright?”

When I peeked at the student, I saw Misnia lying on the ground, looking like she was about to cry.

…Tch, it’s her.

“J-Just this once, I give you my thanks! Hmph!”

After responding in a voice without the slightest shred of gratitude, Misnia tried to stand to her feet—

“Ow!?”

—and fell to her knee after shrieking. 

Laura realized something was wrong with Misnia.

“Ah! Miss Misnia, your foot!?”

She probably sprained it. Her left ankle was swollen, to the point where just looking at it was difficult.

“I’ll lend you my shoulder!”

When Laura approached Misnia to lend her a hand, Misnia pushed her away.

“Ouch!?”

“Get away from me! You descendant of the cursed village! How dare you touch a noble such as me!”

Then, she looked in my direction.

“You do it! You’re a male and a commoner, but I’ll put up with you! Take me somewhere safe!”

Let me just say this in advance.

I’m not someone who enjoys violence.

I also seldom get angry.

However, I couldn’t control myself this time.

…This woman has some nerve to trample all over Laura’s kindness.

“Hey.”

Right after I spoke, I struck Misnia’s cheek with the palm of my hand.

“Euu!?”

Misnia let out a pathetic voice and fell to the ground.

“A-Albert, you shouldn’t do that!”

“No, Laura. Someone like her won’t understand unless I do this.”

I looked down on Misnia and lectured her as she lay on the ground.

“How many times do you need to hurt Laura before you’re satisfied!? How dare you abuse Laura and act like it’s nothing! Despite all that, she still warned you that the Spirit Summoning was dangerous and that you should stop! Even in this situation, she still tried to help you!”

I was very pissed off, so I continued to hurl words at her.

“I could give less of a shit about someone like you, not after you continue to treat someone as kind as Laura like dirt! Apologize! As long as you don’t apologize to Laura, I won’t lift a finger for you!”

Misnia looked at me, her eyes gleaming with condemnation.

“S-Stooping to violence…You’re the worst…!”

“You’re the one using violence through words. You don’t even understand that?”

Teardrops streamed from Misnia’s eyes.

Then, after grumbling to herself—

“I-I’m… sorry…”

—she apologized.

“It’s alright. I don’t mind, Miss Misnia.”

After speaking, Laura tried to lend Misnia her shoulder.

Misnia quivered for a bit, but she entrusted herself to Laura without resisting.

“Albert, I’ll bring Miss Misnia to somewhere safe.”

“…Got it. I’ll crush the mud dolls. Don’t worry about getting chased.”

I parted with Laura and headed toward the lakefront.

Flin and—was that Blain?—the top student of our year were jointly facing the Water Spirit.

Fire to match water—

With that reasoning, the two were utilizing fire magic and fought the Water Spirit.

However, the Water Spirit’s regenerative abilities were too fast, and they had yet to land a fatal blow.

“Flin.”

Flin turned her head in response to my voice.

“Albert! Why are you here!?”

“Laura asked me to. I’m here to assist.”

“It’s dangerous, so hurry up and escape!”

“I have no intention to escape.”

“You aren’t getting it! This isn’t your average Water Spirit! That core of darkness in the middle of its chest… That’s the source of its power. As long as we don’t blow that thing up, we can’t defeat it. However, the chest, in particular, is heavily protected—”

“Quite the keen analysis, human! However, you can’t do anything about it! You can’t break through my defenses with your power—”

“Magic Arrow.”

Boom!

Everything above the Water Spirit’s chest vanished in an instant.

“”Huh.””

Flin and Blain absentmindedly widened their mouth.

The lower half of the Water Spirit’s body—the horse part, fell to its knees. Its body began dissolving, became water, and returned to the lake.

The black core which was in its chest rolled around the shore.

It probably wasn’t the best idea to leave that black core alone.

I approached the core and held my right hand out.

“Magic Arrow.”

“Magic Arrow.”

“Magic Arrow.”

“Magic Arrow.”

“Magic Arrow.”

The core was shred to atoms by my barrage.

When I looked back, the mud dolls wobbled and fell to the ground. It was probably because the mana from the Water Spirit was severed.

Looks like that settles it.

“Flin, it’s over, you know?”

“Huh? That easily?”

Flin vacantly muttered to herself.

“Did he just say Magic Arrow? No, there’s no way—”

The top freshman rubbed his temples with disbelief written all over his face.

The two didn’t seem to be convinced for some reason—

But it didn’t matter in the slightest to me.

I was satisfied.

I was able to protect my promise with the one girl who believed in me.

I was able to fulfill her wish.

As moronic as I may be, I wonder if I was able to be slightly useful?

The sense of accomplishing something felt great. My heart, which had always been shriveled and crushed flat, felt like it expanded just a bit.

That was surely thanks to Laura.

I turned my gaze to where Laura was and quietly smiled.

You gave me courage—

Thank you.