Chapter 70

Chapter 70: Considering Simple Arrow Crafting

Curious about how to make arrows, Ren decided to head home early while the sun was still high and went straight to the study. Before leaving the riverside, he had caught plenty of magic fish and delivered them to the kitchen. The thought of having fish for dinner made him look forward to it.

In the study, lit by the slightly slanting afternoon sun, Ren picked up “Field Notes for Squires” from the corner of a shelf. It seemed no one else read it—its position hadn’t changed since the last time he had.

Peel.

By the bright window, he carefully separated a page that had stuck to another. Even when it wasn’t what he was looking for, the contents were always interesting, so he often got sidetracked reading. After repeating this a few times, he spotted the section he wanted.

“Simple arrows…”

《How to Make Simple Arrows》

When you lose arrows in the forest or need to replenish them, select straight branches from nearby trees.

Branches should be about the thickness of a finger, with few knots and no bends—these are best.

After cutting them, gently heat them near a fire to correct any warping.

Once straightened, shave one end to form the shaft, and either attach a metal tip or sharpen the end for use.

While iron tips are preferable in battle, wooden points are sufficient for hunting or emergencies.

《Attaching Fletching》

Arrows must fly straight. For this purpose, feathers are used.

Typically, three feathers are attached at equal intervals.

Take care to keep them symmetrical.

Trim the feathers to equal length, shave their bases thin, and fit them snugly against the shaft.

Lightly bind them with thread, then secure them with glue.

Slightly twist the feathers when attaching them.

This causes the arrow to spin, stabilizing its trajectory.

When using glue, warm it in water to maintain its viscosity and apply it thinly.

《Making Glue》

Glue can be made even while camping.

Finely chop animal hide, sinew, or bones, and simmer them in water for a long time.

When the liquid becomes sticky and solidifies upon cooling, it is ready.

Reheat it to use as an adhesive.

In urgent cases, fish skin or innards can substitute, though the strength is somewhat lower.

“So I need glue…”

Ren muttered, thinking.

“I wonder if I could make it from horn rabbit bones. That would mean I’d have to process one…”

He recalled the group of young adventurers who had been attacked by three-eyed eagles while trying to butcher a horn rabbit in the grasslands. It reinforced his thought—open fields weren’t a good place for that.

“Maybe I should go to the guild’s processing area… Hunt a horn rabbit in the plains, go to the Adventurers’ Guild to butcher it, then boil it by the riverside… That sounds busy…”

He began mapping out the steps in his head:

Go to the plains
Hunt a horn rabbit
Go to the Adventurers’ Guild
Borrow the processing area and butcher it
Go to the riverside
Boil the bones and hide

“That’s going to take a lot of time…”

The plains and river were relatively close, but the Adventurers’ Guild was quite far. Stopping by to sell materials on the way back was fine, but making a round trip would take too long. Besides, he had never butchered anything himself before. If it took too long, it might get dark.

“Ah! …Small box division…”

He suddenly remembered how he had accidentally split a magic fish’s head using his “small box” ability. What if he tried that on a horn rabbit…?

He immediately shook his head, dismissing the thought.

“…That would ruin the meat… And if I kept slicing it into pieces, it’d get pretty gruesome…”

Even if he drained the blood first, it wouldn’t flood the box like before. But the “small box” couldn’t skin or properly process it. Splitting it apart with fur and organs still intact would likely end badly.

He looked back at the notes he had copied.

Glue wasn’t the only thing needed. He also needed branches for shafts, feathers for fletching, and to heat-treat the wood. Glue was more for reinforcement—it wasn’t absolutely essential.

“There’s so much to do… I want to try making them already… Oh, if fish bones can work, I could just catch magic fish and boil them by the river… It says the strength is weaker, but for now, that should be fine…”

He had been considering splitting the process—hunting horn rabbits one day and making glue another—but if fish bones worked, most materials could be gathered near the river. As for feathers, he could stop by the plains on the way back and hunt a few three-eyed eagles.

“Alright, tomorrow’s plan is set!”

He closed the book and hopped down from his chair.

As he left the study, he heard a faint thud from outside.

Curious, he walked to a window overlooking the backyard and peeked out. There stood Ryan.

Thud.

Ryan was silently practicing archery.

Each time he drew the bow, a faint, shimmering light wrapped around his back and arms.

(That sparkle… that’s mana, right? Maybe putting mana into the shot improves accuracy?)

Wanting a closer look, Ren hurried to the door leading to the backyard and quietly peeked from behind a tree.

A steady rhythm filled the air:

The sound of the bowstring being drawn.
The release.
The dull impact as arrows struck the target.

Ryan’s movements were flawless. His back straight, his stance unwavering. The bow bent deeply as he drew it, then released smoothly, without hesitation.

Ren watched silently from the shadows.

Each time Ryan drew, a faint flow of light gathered along his back—moving from shoulder to arm, then to his fingertips, and finally into the arrow.

It felt as if some kind of “power” was being transferred into it.

The released arrow sliced through the air and struck near the center of the target.

No wavering.

As if he already knew the wind and distance.

(He’s amazing…)

Ren’s gaze shifted to the quiver.

Worn-out.

Just like the ones Ren used.

The feathers were frayed, uneven. Some shafts even looked slightly bent.

(…If I make good arrows, maybe I could give some to Brother Ryan…)