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Karami had sent word to Roperman of their impending visit, a strategic move to prevent any unwelcome surprises. Naturally, he hadn't specified an exact date.
Time was of the essence, but Karami saw no need to light the fuse himself. Instead, he planned to play hard to get, stretching out each moment as long as possible.
The key is how quickly Alfia can grow…
Fortunately, much like riding a bike, Alfia's archery skills gained rapid momentum once she hit her first target.
Stationary objects were child's play now; she could even pierce leaves as they fluttered to the ground.
She'd progressed to practicing arcing shots, learning to hit targets hidden behind cover.
Still, it wasn't enough. While her marksmanship would undoubtedly improve with practice, Alfia had zero real combat experience.
Even with the various heroine perks helping her, some things she had to learn firsthand. Freezing up in the heat of battle could spell disaster.
Luckily for Alfia, she had someone who could cover for her weaknesses.
"Don't panic. In combat, a split second decides victory or defeat. If you panic, it's over."
"That's easier said than done…!"
In the forest where they always trained, Victor had joined the session.
Alfia gritted her teeth, moving her bow this way and that, but all she could see were trees. She could only catch glimpses of Victor's afterimages.
Victor's movements were several beats faster. By the time she aimed, his figure had long since vanished.
Rustle.
Alfia quickly swung her bow around at the sudden presence, but what she found wasn't Victor, just some fluttering weeds. As Alfia stood confused, a dagger silently appeared at the nape of her neck.
A bead of cold sweat rolled down Alfia's cheek under the oppressive pressure.
"…I lose."
Alfia raised her bow-holding arm in surrender. Victor withdrew his dagger, clicking his tongue with a dissatisfied expression.
"Tsk tsk, with reactions this slow? You'd be a stuffed trophy in some noble's art gallery by now if this were a real fight."
"That's going too far…! Besides, an archer can't win against an assassin in a place with all this cover!"
"And here I was, under the impression that forests are an elf's home turf."
Alfia, having been about to protest, shut her mouth at this irrefutable point.
It was true. Elves who spent their entire life in the forest knew it like their own bedroom. While others might trip and stumble, elves freely traversed the woods, hunting down intruders.
But now, Alfia was the one being violated in her own bedroom.
"I can't help it. Focusing on shooting and detecting enemies at the same time is too much. You know how much concentration it takes just to shoot?"
"That's what I don't understand. Why waste energy looking for enemies? Just sense them."
"Sense them? How?"
Alfia tilted her head, genuinely confused. Victor couldn't hold back his frustration at her hopelessness.
"You're an elf, aren't you?! Open your ears! Read the air currents! Feel the sounds of nature!"
"Oh… Owner, you know a lot about elves for not being one. Impressive."
Victor squeezed his eyes shut.
"Either way, you understand what I'm trying to say, right?"
"Yeah, a little."
"A little… Well, I suppose that's better than nothing."
There was no point in further verbal explanations. Direct experience would be faster.
To put the lesson into practice, they started another round. Victor instantly vanished from sight, while Alfia took a deep breath and opened her ears.
Alfia tried to feel nature. This was unfamiliar territory for her.
After all, she spent most of her days suffering in pain or drunk out of her mind. Leisurely enjoying nature's beauty had been a luxury.
"Huu…"
But now… she had to do it—she wanted to do it.
For the first time, Alfia savored the thrill of wielding the bow as an elf, a hunger for growth stirring within her, urging her to move forward.
Enough to be acknowledged by everyone.
She had no intention of stagnating here.
As she concentrated, a multitude of senses became vivid.
The sounds of the forest.
The wind touching her skin.
And the subtle discrepancies within. Small, but definitely noticeable.
Among them, the distinctive scent of an old man carried on the breeze…
Suddenly, there was the sound of small animals and insects fleeing in terror!
Thwack!
Alfia threw herself sideways. As she spun in mid-air, she nocked an arrow and drew the bowstring.
Creeak.
Twang!
She shot the arrow at what seemed to be empty air.
It looked like shadowboxing at first glance, but in that seemingly empty space, a shadow began to take form.
In a move that seemed to predict the future, a figure materialized where Alfia had been standing, having slid across the ground. It was Victor. What had sliced through the air wasn't an arrow, but a dagger.
Eyes widening as the arrow hurtled towards his face, the old man displayed uncanny reflexes. He twisted his body, the arrow grazing his arm instead of finding its mark.
Before Victor could regain his footing, he lunged for another strike, but Alfia, still on the ground, had already nocked another arrow, aimed at him.
At that close range, it was clear whose weapon would reach first.
"Looks like I was faster this time?"
Victor's surprised expression soon turned into a wry smile as he raised his hands.
"I admit defeat."
As soon as the words of surrender left Victor's lips, Alfia's mouth curved into a wide grin. She jumped up and trotted over, barely able to contain her excitement.
"How was that? Pretty good, right?"
"To be honest, it's hard to believe. I never expected you to apply the lesson so quickly in practice."
"Hehe, I've always been a quick learner."
This went beyond learning quickly.
As Victor aged, his body wasn't what it used to be. But he hadn't become so weak that a novice archer with zero combat experience could outmaneuver him.
Alfia's growth rate had far exceeded Victor's expectations. Were all elves like this? It was enough to make one's life feel meaningless.
Karami, who had been watching while sitting cross-legged, stood up, brushed off grass, and walked over.
"Is it over?"
"She's reached a minimum acceptable level."
"Will she survive if we walk into the enemy's trap?"
"Hmm, it's hard to say for certain. Her growth rate is impressive and her potential is undeniable, but she lacks that one decisive trump card."
"A trump card, huh…"
Karami pondered Victor's advice seriously.
No trump card.
In other words, no signature move.
Victor could conjure dozens of daggers from shadows. If his magic defied reason, Alfia's archery was more like a circus act you might see in the real world.
The difference between them was on an entirely different level.
Given time, she might be able to conquer the world with a single arrow, but the important thing was that she couldn't do that now.
I guess this is what happens when you mess up the order.
The original route went like this:
First, rehabilitate the broken Alfia. Then, win the Slave Festival event that determines the best slave.
After that, use the prize to resolve Alfia's spirit problem. Only then would we start building up her combat power, like combining spirit power with her bow, or perhaps even having her learn spirit magic outright.
In the end, it meant that without addressing the spirits—Alfia couldn't break through her limits.
If only there was a way to just snatch the item…
Karami glanced at Victor and tilted his head.
Hmm, this is tricky.
It didn't feel right to send her in blind without knowing the item's location, and relying too heavily on Victor was also problematic.
Karami pondered deeply.
The answer came quicker than expected.
Why not have her bring it herself?
***
In Noctar, there was one building that rivaled the lord's castle in size:
The Desert Rose Merchant Group.
We were now walking towards it, having stalled as long as we could. Any more delays and they might have come storming in, leaving us no choice.
With no reason to hide anymore, Alfia had taken off her robe. I could feel people's gazes drawn to us as we approached.
The hikikomori elf seemed uncomfortable with the attention, fidgeting constantly. I couldn't help but think, if I had a face like hers, I'd be gallivanting around the world.
"Will the tavern be okay?"
Alfia asked, her face tense with worry. Having grown attached to the children during her stay, she was concerned about the tavern.
She feared they might raid the place to take hostages.
"It'll be fine. The old man is there."
I wasn't particularly worried. Unless they brought someone stronger than Victor, we would be fine; people like that weren't easy to come back.
We were the ones who should be worried, not the kids.
Alfia kept taking deep breaths, probably just as nervous. I could see her grip tightening on her bow.
"Do you think I can do this? I trained with him, but this is my first real fight, so I'm anxious…"
"You'll do fine. I've been right by your side, watching you practice hard all this time."
"…Yeah, you're right. Thanks. Hearing you say that makes me feel a bit better."
As we arrived at the merchant group's building, a man standing by the entrance approached us.
"Might you be the Slave Reaper and the elf with an appointment with our leader today?"
"That's right."
"Please, come in. He is waiting for you."
We followed the man, who appeared to be an employee, into the building. As I had sensed from the outside, the interior was dazzling, true to the owner's reputation as a collector.
The chandeliers emitted a soft glow, illuminating the central hall with its polished marble floor covered by a red carpet adorned with intricate patterns.
What truly caught the eye, however, were the animal statues. So lifelike were they, it was as if real creatures had been petrified by magic, seemingly ready to wake at any moment.
So all this is going to be mine?
Better be careful not to break anything.
"Oho, you've finally arrived. I-I thought my neck would fall off w-waiting for you to show up."
Roperman came down the central staircase, arms spread wide. When he said, finally arrived, to my ears it sounded more like, these bastards finally showed up.
And what neck are you even talking about? I can barely tell if you have one buried in all that fat.
…was what I wanted to say.
Instead, I smiled broadly as if grateful for the welcome.
"I apologize for keeping you waiting. It's an honor to be invited."
"Hohoho, h-honor, you say? I'm the one who should be grateful that the famous Slave Reaper has come to visit."
"Hahahaha."
"Hohohoho."
We stood there laughing at each other for a while.
"S-Since you've come all this way, how about a tour? I'll p-personally guide you."
"Oh, perfect timing. I was just curious about that myself. I won't turn down the offer. Shall we, Alfia?"
Alfia looked at me with displeasure. She didn't seem to like the idea of leisurely sightseeing when we came here to fight.
But hey, it was a rare opportunity, right?
I was totally just trying to learn the building's layout, not at all interested in looking around. Nope, not me.
When I nodded at her with a smile, Alfia let out a resigned sigh. We started following the greedy pig.