I went to Dana’s room and knocked.
There was no response, but after a moment the door opened.
Our group’s porter opened in shorts and bandeau only.
Dana cocked her head.
We still hadn’t really talked at all when she wasn’t drunk, but she was a nice girl.
Silvia had clearly been joking about her touchiness, as she only had eyes for Irelia.
“Hey, Dana,” I started, “I only wanted to ask if I could borrow one of your coats.” She stared at me for a second, then turned her head in a come in gesture.
Sometimes it felt like she was actually talking, and this time her lips moved too.
Irelia was splayed across Dana’s bed, snoring peacefully while Dana moved towards her storage box.
Whatever they said, it was clear as day to everyone those two dated.
They really should get it sorted out.
I followed her, taking care not to stare at the sleeping woman.
Dana pulled out a fur overcoat and pushed it into my hands with a nod, “…br…
back…” “I will, don’t worry Dana,” I reassured her and it was as if I heard her say something.
She just nodded.
“See you later,” I waved on my way out.
The early morning in Marx was fresh and I finally learned why.
It had something to do with the tunnel and elevator systems connecting the town to the outside.
Especially the tunnels out into the desert blew frosty winds into the town at night.
Of course I had no idea how a desert near the alps could make any sense, but I wasn’t a geologist, so chances were slim I’d understand it at all.
At least the streets weren’t full yet and I could stroll in peace around the armorers district until the shops opened.
Yes, I had left that early today, but I was seriously excited to get my new bow.
I mean, sure I use sword and shield as my main weapon, but it was what I trained in my previous life just as much as in this.
The first shops finally opened and I decided I’d check if the bow maker Cily was open already.
I went into Cily’s small shop and found her doing the finishing touches to the single most gorgeous bow I’ve ever seen.
She had carved out multiple parts of bone and had fused those with what seemed like malazite as a core.
The bowstring spun around intricately designed cams at the end of both limbs.
This felt like a masterpiece.
My whole body trembled.
This weapon was almost too perfect as a sub weapon.
My eyes fell onto the bow’s grip.
She had added a small sight extension with a clicker and a long stabilizer extended below and an unlock mechanism up top.
Distance markings were intricately engraved into the sight.
The grip itself was tightly wrapped in silver and gray Borearade leather followed by a riser made in pure malazite, giving off a faint blue glow.
I gasped, “this will be my bow?” My voice was barely audible, dying in my throat.
It drew her attention and she looked up, seeing me standing there with an open fur overcoat and my usual vest combo, with whatever face I was making.
I didn’t know and she gladly ignored it.
“There you are!
I just finished checking the bowstring one last time and gave it a last wax coat,” Cily’s eyes sparkled.
“I used both bones though, but when you’ll wield this baby you’ll feel why.” I took a step towards this beauty.
And by beauty I mean the bow, even if Cily herself looked stunning with her smile right now.
My hands trembled a little, reaching out to the weapon.
It was heavy.
Heavier than any compound bow I used in my previous life.
I let my finger tips slide gently across the bow’s lifeline and readied my hold.
The balance was simply perfect and I pulled the string.
Despite the built in cam, drawing it was heavy.
The string, it felt like it was made from tightly twisted Boreagard sinew.
I really wanted to try it out right away.
“Everything to your liking?” Cily suddenly spoke up.
I had forgotten she was even here.
She looked nervously at me, slightly leaned forward.
I stared at her for a solid minute, not noticing how her face went red.
Then I gushed, “are you kidding?
This bow is perfect!
I would never have imagined to find someone so skilled!” Her face went an even brighter shade of red and she scratched her cheek, “I’m still not as good as my teacher was, but I’m glad you like it.” “Like it?!” I stormed at her, suddenly inches from her face, “I love this bow already!
You can’t believe how happy a huntress you made me!” Up close her eyes were shining even more.
Her skin was as flawless as porcelain and despite her trained build, her body looked so soft.
‘Wait, don’t get distracted, Aria!’ I pulled away a little, noticing how embarrassed she looked.
The young bow maker replied in a tiny voice, “thank you.” She composed herself and tried to look at me with a more serious expression.
I rather thought she looked almost bewitching, “with quiver and belt it’ll be 7,500 Zenny.” “That cheap?!” I couldn’t believe her.
Even with my gaming knowledge, it felt too cheap.
Smart as I was, I just had to ask her, “is that really enough?” She was almost ashamed, it was just too adorable and replied, “if you want, you can buy some arrows and coatings, but that’s the price, yes.
But please don’t feel forced to buy anything else.” “I’ll take a set of both then.” I told her and continued, “any recommendations for coatings?
Or can I use any of them?” Back in Frontier Hunter, bows usually were limited to only a few different coatings you could use and it forced you to craft more and more different weapons.
Cily grabbed a stack of massive arrows, each one at least one meter long and with almost dagger-like tips.
She pulled the coatings out of a drawer, “you should mainly use pierce, poisons and bleeding coatings.
You can try Drake blood, but that’ll affect the bow if you’re not careful.” I nodded along, “then I’ll take a pierce and bleeding coating.” Then asked her, “how does Drake blood affect it?” Her beautiful smile came back, “yes of course!
Together with the bow and arrows, that’ll be 12,500 Zenny.” She explained, “and about drake blood.
That coating is really aggressive and corrodes the bone parts.” I pulled out my pouch and screamed internally, ‘that’s too cheap!’ It felt like I was the one ripping her off and it just felt wrong.
I laid out the Zenny for her and she beamed, “thank you very much!” I removed my overcoat for a moment and fixed the new belt around my hip, my muscular body showing.
My fingers gently moved to unlock the folding mechanism of the bow.
It folded up and simply felt right around my hip.
Cily shot me a look I couldn’t quite understand, eyes turned away with her ears looking rosy.
I had no idea why, but I asked her, “I really want to try out the bow right away, do you want to come with me?” My eyes turned away from her nervously, “I mean you made the bow and I bet you can give me some guidance?” Her eyes, oh gosh her eyes.
They sparkled even more, making me involuntarily blush and quickly add, “only if you want, though?
Like you really don’t have to, but I don’t know.” She quickly closed up her store, despite it being morning, all the while she was smiling and beaming at me.
The silver haired beauty grabbed her own coat and said, “come, I know a great place to really try out your new bow!” I followed her outside and she locked up her door.
She sounded a bit self-deprecating, “I have time until early afternoon, no one buys bows anyways.” “Guess I’m no one then?” I tried to lighten the mood.
God I’m bad at it.
“I mean I was about to give up finding a good bow here, if it hadn’t been for that old lady.
Especially after that other shop in the weapons district.” I told her about the scummy guy I met before coming to her and she looked pissed.
“That shop belongs to some asshole old world aristocrats!” She continued in an angry voice, “and those damn guild fools just let them do as they please, can you believe it?” “They let him just swindle people?” “Of course not.” She huffed, tone miffed.
“They use him to push their drake cannons and rifles.” ‘So that was why I haven’t seen any hunters with bows in Marx,’ I thought, but it still didn’t make any sense.
Back in the game world, the bow was just as strong as all the other weapons and was way more agile than heavy drake rifles and cannons.