Chapter 41

As I concentrated, even the wind that had been blowing in the open area calmed down.

Then, slowly, very slowly, ice crystals gathered from the arrowheads to create new winds.

I held my breath and closed my eyes, feeling the winter breeze. And at the very moment when the image in my mind and the target coincided, I pulled lightly.

Swiik-woosh!

Arrows flew off with a roar that ripped through the air.

“!”

Above the head of Baron Ignes, whose eyes grew wide in fear. Pop! There was the sound of the cherry popping.

Almost at the same time, some of the arrows were caught in his clothes – between his shoulders, arms, and crotch. Tak tak tak! The rest struck the wall and were stuck.

“Ha…”

Baron Ignes squeezed his eyes shut and let out a gasp. He couldn’t even scream.

For a while, only surprise and silence prevailed at the tables filled with nobles.

It was the judge standing by the target who broke the silence. He exclaimed with a shocked expression on his face.

“…It’s a hit!”

And after a while.

“Woah, wow!”

Thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the nobles.

Everyone reacted explosively when they saw the rare sight of combining archery with an ability.

“Did you see it? The arrows flew in the white wind!”

“It was the most amazing shooting scene I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“Please, I wish I could see it one more time…!”

If I showed you one more time, Baron Ignes would pass out.

I walked to Baron Ignes first before the judge could take the arrows back.

He was stiff with a white face, and his trousers were yellow and damp.

‘I didn’t know he would wet his pants.’

I glanced at his crotch indifferently and brought my gaze back to his face.

“Oh my…….”

Then I spoke in a friendly voice as if I was dealing with a dog who defecated by mistake.

“I appreciate the courage of Baron Ignes, who became my target.”

“……”

I slowly reached for the arrow that was stuck in his hair.

Thanks to the bright red cherry, Baron Ignes’ hair and forehead were covered in red juice.

Baron Ignes’ shoulders trembled.

“Shhh…”

“…….”

“You have to stay still so you don’t get hurt.”

How good it would have been if you had shut up and stayed still in the first place.

I slowly pulled the arrows out. From his shoulders, and from the sleeves of his arms.

Then I muttered languidly.

“But looking at the results, I guess…”

My gaze directly met Baron Ignes’ eyes.

“I’m more of a ‘real man’ than Baron Ignes.”

“!”

A smirk broke from my lips like thin ice.

Baron Ignes, who spoke of ‘a true man’s bow’ earlier, was red up to his ears.

After plucking the arrow from between his crotch, I finally turned around.

“Congratulations, Your Majesty Queen!”

When I returned to my seat, Madam Verdi was the first to congratulate me.

Then Count Quokka followed her, saying with his eyes wide open.

“Your Majesty, what wonderful skills you have. I was amazed!”

I answered as humbly as I could.

“I know.”

Count Quokka scrunched his nose in bewilderment.

Soon the awards ceremony began. Under the bright sunlight, and listening to the cool sound of the fountain, I walked to the podium.

The first, second and third places were to step on the podium one after another.

“This magic trophy will give Your Majesty an appropriate ‘archer nickname’!”

Archer nickname? Well, the Archer of the Moon… something like this?

Madam Verdi sprinkled the five-colored luminous magical stone powder on the cup-shaped trophy made of pure gold.

“What is that?”

Count Quokka, in third place, whispered.

“This is a special magic stone powder for trophies that she obtained from the Magic Tower. The trophy just saw the previous match and engraved an appropriate nickname for the archer.”

What would be my nickname? There was no choice but to be nervous for no reason.

‘Witch archer, an archer who destroyed the world, an archer who broke humanity… Could it be that something terrifying like this is coming out?’

After all, my image in this worldview was very notorious.

It was when I was very worried.

The golden trophy radiated a bright light as if it could blind, and then quickly spun in place, swiish! 

At the same time, letters were engraved on it.

Madam Verdi picked the trophy up with a graceful gesture and read the letters.

“The Immortal Archer!”

The crowd chanted my nickname explosively and applauded.

‘Immortal… Archer?’

I accepted the trophy with a feeling of irony.

It was not a fitting nickname for a wicked woman, which a future oracle said would slaughter everyone and destroy the world.

‘How great would it be to live up to this nickname.’

If only I could cut ties with that damn blue rose in this life.

‘It would be great.’

I held the trophy preciously in my arms.

“Your Majesty, everyone is looking. Please smile.”

Count Quokka whispered from the third place spot.

Baron Ignes, who finished second, was leaving the salon with the support of his servant.

I slowly climbed to the highest part of the podium with the golden trophy.

Then, I raised the trophy with an elegant gesture and showed it to everyone.

Who is the strongest here?

“Wow!”

It wasn’t bad to hear the cheers of the nobles.

I was also delighted to see the group of nine nobles who were making expressions of displeasure.

“……”

At this time, my eyes met with hers.

The woman with an angelic appearance, biting her lips and holding onto her skirt.

Yuria staggered out of the salon with a tired face.

Inwardly, I spoke to her.

‘Please step back like this. Being an enemy is tiring.’

Who knows? Maybe she would be less obsessed and persistent in this life.

It might be that your mind is overflowing with room enough to accept complete defeat at once.

As I was thinking that, the servant who was filming the winner with a video magic stone requested,

“Your Majesty, please smile.”

I smiled slightly towards the video stone.

Then I looked sideways at Madam Verdi and said,

“Madam Verdi, I would like you to give me the letter of recommendation right now.”

“…Oh my, right now?”

The startled face of Madam Verdi was also captured in the video.

* * *

“Seryl… Seryl is! Seryl is a really happy maid!”

Seryl was very happy to make her first visit to Verdi’s Salon.

So were the rest of the maids.

“…This time, Laura…”

“Maribel too…?”

For some reason, it felt really good to see Laura, who was usually rational, and Maribel, who was timid, mimicking Seryl.

“I didn’t know you would bring me a letter of recommendation like this…”

Maribel said so with a really surprised face, blinking her sky-blue eyes.

‘I was surprised too. It would be like this?’

I was the one who did it, but even I was surprised. It was such a quick fulfillment of the promise – I made it in the morning and delivered it in the afternoon.

Maribel blushed and said in a small voice.

“Your Majesty the Queen, you had plans for everything…?”

I placed my arms on the armrests and answered arrogantly.

“Well, as you can see.”

The respectful eyes of the three maids turned to me, twinkling brightly. It was a little burdensome.

Next, we spent a lot of time chatting and resting.

Laura said her family had been trying since her grandmother’s generation because she really wanted to enter Madam Verdi’s salon. She added that her grandmother’s wish had finally come true, that her mother would be delighted with this honor, and she thanked me again and again.

I accepted her heartfelt gratitude.

While we were chatting, the most popular social music of these days played beautifully in the salon.

On one side, the most famous painter from Breathbridge was invited to share stories about the world of art.

The peaceful, soft and beautiful time like a nap passed like a butterfly’s wing that just woke up from a cocoon.

The second part of today’s events, ‘Dessert Day’, started after the atmosphere was ripe.

On the podium, Madam Verdi said,

“Now, let’s start today’s last event, ‘Dessert Day’! Have you decided on the dessert you want to introduce?”

……Hmm, was it the day to introduce one’s favorite dessert?

I didn’t prepare anything.

“Whoever introduces the most popular dessert of the day will be given a trophy and prize!”

“…….”

“The product is something that only I can give you, and it is very rare, so you can look forward to it.”

Madam Verdi’s eyes swept around once, and she smiled meaningfully at everyone.

“Ah, by the way, I’ll give a slight preview of the winner’s prize…?”

I was curious. What could it be? It was a product that only Madam Verdi, the owner of the best social network location, could give.

‘If I am eager to know what it is, I have no choice but to participate and win first place.’

‘Oh my God, to induce participation by making people curious…’

I had no intention of participating so seriously… But I had a feeling it would be an incredibly useful product.

Wasn’t the prize in the shooting competition a letter of recommendation that would greatly impact one’s social life?

“…Damn, I have no choice but to participate because I’m curious.”

I narrowed one eye and uttered as if I had lost.

“Ah! But Your Majesty… Everyone had prepared too hard for you to participate now!”

Seryl was right. Looking around, everyone was taking out brightly colored cookies, cakes and drinks from dessert baskets.

As if they had waited only for this day, their eyes were so serious that it was formidable.

The only empty-handed people were my maids and I.

Was there no way? As I was contemplating, a good idea came to my mind.

“Seryl, prepare seasonal fruits and sweet syrup right away.”

“Ah… Yes, Your Majesty. I’ll prepare it right away!”

Then Seryl tilted her head and asked,

“By the way, what kind of dessert are you going to make?”

Ame: One more chapter… I want desserts too.