The Male S*ave of the Count Sianella Family

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Today, Shione wandered around grinning like someone who had lost a screw somewhere. Even as she faced the refreshing morning breeze, she kept laughing, and while munching on a simple sandwich for breakfast, she was still giggling. She was in a state of perpetual laughter over the slightest things.

Our optimistic Shione often wore a smile, but today, it seemed a little excessive.

Of course, her carefree smile became even more radiant when it was directed at me.

“Honey, I’m bored! If you aren’t busy, come over and play with me!”

…I’m seriously losing it.

Ever since I got wrapped up in her antics yesterday, she’s been like this nonstop.

Thanks to her boundless playfulness nudging me, I shook my head with a sigh.

“Why wouldn’t I be busy? I’m busy replacing your bowstring.”

“Are you mad or something?”

“Mad? Don’t you know how tough it is to string a dwarven bow? If I mess up and the string snaps back, I could get hurt! I need to focus, you see!”

“Hmmm, is that so?”

Not that she seemed convinced by my explanation.

Still, it’s true that Shione’s bow is a bit of a hassle to string. Since I decided to take care of her bow, it was important to examine it closely.

After all, I can’t carelessly maintain such an expensive bow or I’d regret it later.

“It’s just because our Baron showed an unexpectedly dependable side yesterday. So please, forgive me now.”

“If you act cute, I might let it slide! Big, lively movements and all.”

“Cute? You want me to act cute? Big and lively movements?… Right now?”

“Yes. And if it doesn’t fit my standards, we’ll do it again.”

“…Ah, if a girl goes around acting cute, she’ll get stoned. Siabel would probably start looking for nearby rocks if I did that.”

Indeed, if a girl acted cute in the streets here, people wouldn’t just look down on her; a hot-headed mercenary might even draw their sword at the sight.

Still, there’s no way I’d settle for half-hearted fun. How could I sneak off quietly after this?

So, I spent some time watching Shione, who kept blushing while dancing around in her own little world, finally finishing up her bow maintenance.

“…Is it done?”

“Sadly, I’ll let it go this time. And… your bow is all good now.”

“Heh, thanks! I should be the one doing this.”

“Today is the day you get to show off your archery in front of Herrel, right? It’s an important day for you, so we need to prepare thoroughly.”

Shione seemed touched by my words, breaking into a bright smile and starting to hum a little tune.

Well, regardless of how moved Shione was, today was an important day for me too.

‘Today, I should receive the reward for completing the quest.’

The trial was over, and having met Herrel, I was about to finally complete the quest. The promised reward was due when she showcased her archery next.

Today, Shione would break through her limits and need a well-maintained bow to match her newfound clarity, free from the shackles of the past.

‘Right now, Shione is at the expert level.’

Having faced numerous trials, she had grown strong. The purity of her mana and the potency gathered in her arrowheads roughly reflects that level.

After stringing her bow repeatedly while experiencing blisters on my fingers and rolling around the battlefield, this level was beyond what anyone could believe was achieved in such a short time.

Now that she was learning magic, Shione, blessed with it, could pull off even more powerful attacks, often showcasing remarkable feats against her foes.

‘If she were to break through this barrier─’

It would be great if countless knights in this world could knock on the wall and eventually turn into masters. Still, the gap between expert and master is insurmountable, and I’d better keep that as a tiny hope.

Nevertheless, one wonders just how far Shione can rise. It seems appropriate to have great expectations regarding that.

So, I asked Shione, who was diligently checking her bow,

“Today, Shione’s arrows must trace the best trajectory. How’s your condition?”

“Condition? Today’s condition is─”

Turning sideways, Shione was holding her bowstring.

The moment she turned her head to look at me, the gentle breeze flowing in through the slightly open window made her hair sway softly.

“I’d say it’d be more difficult to find a better day than today! It’s perfect!”

I had a good feeling.

It seemed like Shione was about to show us something impressive.

*

As the sun reached its peak and started to tilt downwards again, Shione, Herrel, and I headed to our Special Mission Team’s shooting range.

“This place used to be an open space in my memory… but now it looks completely different. Is this where Princess Shione’s knights reside?”

“Exactly. The Great Demon Tribe Special Mission Knight Order. I tidied it up a bit after the caretaker left, but this time, I reorganized it for our knights.”

While Shione slowly came to terms with her memories about the place she usually inhabited, Herrel rushed to examine each nook and cranny, acting as if this was the first time seeing it and was very curious.

As Herrel and Shione chatted away, we soon arrived at the shooting range, where Diolia was waiting there alone.

“Princess Shione, I will proceed as you instructed yesterday.”

“Thanks. Just give me a moment to prepare.”

It seems she had asked Diolia to leave the shooting range empty for a bit through her servant last night. Shione flashed a small smile at Herrel, then picked up an arrow and headed straight for the center target.

Rather than taking her time explaining, she likely planned to demonstrate her archery.

As Shione slipped away, Diolia walked up to occupy the empty space left behind.

“Deputy Commander, thank you for guarding Princess Shione yesterday.”

“Wonderful Commander, you deserve the praise. I left you with the knights all alone because I was unavailable.”

“Not that I have a family now, nor a lover. If anything, my sword is my dear companion; I think of practicing swordsmanship as all.”

Diolia easily brushed off my comments and directed her next attention towards Herrel.

“Herrel, it’s been a while! You look much thinner than the last time I saw you. I heard recovering from a curse was rather tough, how are you holding up?”

“It’s good to see you again, Lady Diolia. Everything is alright on the surface after the Count’s House showed me kindness after the curse.”

“That’s a relief. I’d love to chat and catch up, but… first priority is following the Princess’s words, so just sit back and relax here.”

Putting aside the heavier topics momentarily, Diolia shared our spots and kept watch at our sides.

We took our places where we could best see Shione preparing to draw her bow, eagerly waiting for the moment.

“Feel free to expect great things. Her archery contains everything since meeting the Deputy Commander.”

Hearing Diolia’s words, we all held our breath, unable to take our eyes off Shione.

Slowly, Shione lifted her bow and settled into position.

“Phew─”

Steadying her breath, the moment she nocked the arrow onto the string,

Shione’s aura shifted entirely.

This wasn’t the same feeling she had when shooting to maintain her rhythm.

With a strikingly blank expression—far from cold, it radiated a calm serenity. As if she forgot herself and was fully absorbed in her bow.

“……!”

Diolia seemed to sense the change in Shione’s presence, her expression reflecting surprise as she gazed intently at the tip of Shione’s arrow.

‘She’s refined her form delicately.’

Perfectly controlling the tremors that arose while drawing the bowstring, she observed the swirling winds filled with countless variables—it was breathtaking.

The static mana utilization of a knight intertwined, merging together beautifully with a flair befitting a wizard. As her azure eyes aimed towards her target, she seemed to grasp its angle.

A gentle glow, resembling a guiding star that banished darkness, emanated from her gaze.

‘…Divine Power?’

In that instant, I felt the overwhelming righteousness that enveloped her.

‘Just how…?’

Even acknowledging this was a process of evolving through enlightenment seemed insufficient.

As an observer, I could only be astounded by her rapidly growing prowess and gifts. There’s no other instance where I felt this oppressive presence merely from her existence, even more than I did from Ainel, who had broken the master’s barrier on these castle walls.

Even though Shione’s focus had long left this place, confronted by this unforeseen situation, I too held my breath, captivated by her transformation.

Fwooosh─!

Shione’s arrow sliced through the air.

Although it wasn’t the percussion, the arrow flew with a sound akin to thunder, hitting its target.

And when it made contact, the ancient magic that might belong to her was unleashed.

Boom─!

A massive explosion followed. As a shockwave flitted past, my hair and clothing were swept about.

As the dust settled, the scene revealed was overwhelmingly spectacular.

‘She did it!’

Where Shione’s attack swept through was absolutely annihilated.

The target was reduced to dust, and with just that one arrow, the ground and surrounding area lay utterly ravaged.

Diolia murmured in a voice laced with both joy and despair, “We just refurbished the shooting range…!”

The targets in this newly decorated shooting range were all precious artifacts imbued with high-level recovery magic.

Moreover, there were magical circuits embedded below the surface to ensure the targets moved naturally and reinforced their durability.

The destruction of such artifacts indicated that Shione’s understanding had soared to great heights.

‘The ruined shooting range…’

…I would just need to find a bigger budget to fix it, that’s all.

I couldn’t help but smile.

‘So that’s why I had a good feeling.’

It wasn’t merely a lucky choice; Shione’s awakening had proven to be successful.