Translator: CinderTL
"Do you know him?"
Roland shook his head helplessly.
If you counted the days he'd spent as a stable boy for this young noble, they could barely be considered acquaintances.
But judging by Darco's expression, he'd clearly forgotten all about the time Roland had held his horse's reins and cracked the whip for him.
"So why is Young Master Darco looking for me?" Roland pondered for a moment, recalling yesterday's assessment. A theory began to form in his mind.
"Could it be that this young noble witnessed my talent in forging and came to recruit me?"
The thought made him hesitate.
From what he knew, the nobles of the Golden Valley Kingdom weren't exactly known for their humility. Hawk was already an exception.
After observing the old blacksmith's skills during his apprenticeship, Roland knew Hawk's forging techniques were exceptionally refined. Even with the Job Panel's assistance, it would likely take him at least a year and a half to surpass Hawk's level.
Could his current forging skills truly impress these arrogant nobles?
"Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
Having given up on further contemplation, Roland turned to John.
"Captain John, has your patrol duty ended?"
"Duh! Otherwise, why would I be standing here?" John rolled his eyes and casually tossed his short bow over. "Here, take this."
Roland caught the bow, finding it lighter than he'd expected. It was an ordinary short bow, the bow itself made of common birchwood with only the simplest polishing and no varnish. The bowstring was made of twisted hemp rope, already blackened with age, and there were a few fine cracks in the wood grain, clearly indicating it had been used for quite some time, though it remained perfectly functional.
"What? Think it's too shabby?" John crossed his arms, watching Roland examine the bow intently. "This was the first bow I ever used when I was learning Archery."
Roland shook his head, gently stroking the bowstring. "No, I'm just thinking about how to improve it." His gaze lingered on the slightly rough grip in the middle of the bow, and his professional habit had already begun formulating a polishing plan in his mind.
"What's there to improve? Once you learn Archery, you can just craft a new one yourself, right?"
"Alright." John patted Roland on the shoulder. "Let's get to Archery practice. I don't have much free time."
"Very well, Captain John."
Roland turned his gaze from the short bow and followed John along the gravel path of the manor until they reached an open training ground.
Located in the northwest corner of the manor, the training ground was enclosed by a low wooden fence. The ground was covered in fine gravel that crunched underfoot.
On the east side of the field stood several worn-out archery targets, their straw centers frayed from countless arrow strikes.
To the west lay a collection of wooden training swords and shields, their edges riddled with tiny nicks.
John walked to the targets and casually plucked an arrow from a nearby wooden rack, handing it to Roland.
"Try it first," he said, pointing to a target twenty paces away. "Don't worry about hitting the bullseye. Just get a feel for the draw weight."
"Uh, Captain John," Roland said after taking the arrow. "Wouldn't you like to demonstrate first?"
Having previously used the Focus trait to quickly learn the Lion Swordsmanship, Roland naturally hoped to repeat the trick and master archery just as swiftly.
"Demonstrate?" John scratched his head, looking puzzled. "Didn't I already explain the essentials of archery to you last night? Besides..."
With a practiced motion, John drew his bow and nocked an arrow.
Thump!
With a dull thud, the bowstring snapped back.
The arrow struck the bullseye with perfect accuracy, not a hair's breadth off.
"Archery is different from other skills," John said. "There's no rigid standard for stance, breathing, finger placement, or force exertion. Everything must be adjusted to suit your own body."
As John spoke, Roland's gaze refocused, a hint of helplessness flickering in his eyes.
John was right.
When the other man had drawn his bow, Roland had secretly activated his focus trait to observe closely.
The shooting posture appeared casual, but it was utterly chaotic.
Not a trace of the techniques Roland had painstakingly taught the previous night could be seen.
"It seems I can't cheat my way through Archery like I did with Lion Swordsmanship using focus," Roland murmured, shaking his head. "But no matter."
He showed no sign of frustration, instead breaking into an eager smile.
"I still have my Job Panel. I'll just grind it out like I did when I awakened my other skills."
Oblivious to Roland's inner thoughts, John tapped his temple with his index finger, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.
"More important than technique is... feeling!"
"Feeling?" Roland frowned in confusion.
"That's right, feeling!" John nodded firmly, though his words sounded rather mystical. "If the feeling is right, you can hit the target even with your eyes closed."
As he spoke, he actually closed his eyes and expertly nocked an arrow.
"...and still hit the bullseye!"
Whoosh!
With a sharp whistling sound, the arrow once again struck the center of the target.
Roland was slightly stunned by this sight. He hadn't expected John's talk of "feeling" to be genuine.
"Alright, now it's your turn!"
Roland nodded lightly, took a deep breath, and nocked an arrow on his bowstring. As the principles of archery swirled in his mind, his posture became increasingly perfect.
Thwack!
But with a dull twang of the bowstring, the arrow flew straight down, burying itself in the sand a few steps short of the target.
"Hahaha!" John burst into laughter. "You've got the strength, but... it seems your feeling still needs some work."
Roland rubbed his numb arm and could only nod faintly.
"And you were too stiff just now!"
"Archery relies on muscle memory and instinct. Overthinking is actually a hindrance."
John walked behind Roland and adjusted his stance.
"Left foot forward a bit. That's right. Relax your shoulders. Don't stand like a wooden statue."
Roland adjusted his posture as instructed, finding it much more natural.
"Now, don't stare at the bullseye," John's voice sounded in his ear. "Look at the entire target and let your body memorize the distance."
Roland tried following the advice. Surprisingly, when he stopped consciously aiming, his arm naturally found the correct position.
"Release!"
The arrow shot through the air, this time grazing the edge of the target. At least it hit the mark.
"Progress!" John nodded approvingly. "Remember this feeling. Keep practicing until your arm lifts and you already know where to aim!"
For the next few hours, Roland repeated the motions of drawing, aiming, and releasing his arrow over and over. Sweat soaked his back, and the tips of his right fingers were rubbed raw by the bowstring.
After each failure, Roland would gradually incorporate the techniques John had taught him the previous night into his practice, constantly adjusting and refining them to better suit his own style of movement.
As the sun began to set, Roland's archery skills began to show progress.
Out of ten arrows, at least three or four would hit the target.
Though still far from the bullseye, John was quite pleased.
"Not bad, kid," the old soldier said, gently patting Roland on the shoulder. "At this rate, you'll catch up to those new recruits in less than a month!"
Roland flexed his slightly sore fingers as he asked, "Captain John, what was it like when you first started shooting arrows?"
John grinned, revealing several yellowed teeth. "Much worse than you! My first arrow whizzed right past the instructor's scalp!" He stroked the stubble on his chin. "That old geezer chased me around the training ground for the rest of the day."
The two men burst into laughter, their shadows stretching long in the setting sun.
"Alright, kid," John said, brushing the dust off his clothes. "I've taught you everything I can. Now it's up to you to practice and hone your skills."
"Just focus on your training here. I've already spoken to the patrol guards!"
"Thank you, Captain John!"
"You always have to be so polite, kid."
Seeing Roland's humble bow, John didn't bother saying more. He waved his hand and left the training ground.
Glancing at the still-fading twilight, Roland took a deep breath.
"It's still early. I'll practice a bit longer and see if I can awaken Basic Archery!"
With that thought, he retrieved a bundle of arrows and placed it at his feet, then nocked another arrow.
As the sound of arrows piercing the air echoed repeatedly, Roland's movements became increasingly fluid, and his shots grew more accurate.
He finally understood the feeling John had described.
He practiced until dusk was about to fall.
Suddenly, a golden message appeared before his eyes:
[Basic Archery mastered. Current Level: Lv.1]
[Detection complete: Eligible to become a Hunter (basic class)]
[Requirements: Strength 1, Agility 2, any Lv.1 Archery-related skill, two Survival-related skills (0/2)]
[Host does not meet the requirements for this class.]
(End of the Chapter)