I Start with a Bad Hand!

“…To train, as usual.”

Though we often ran into each other, why was she suddenly asking what I was doing here? Roxanne’s smile seemed almost painted on. Then, as if remembering, she leaned slightly against Icarus standing next to her.

From the moment our eyes met, Icarus looked like he wanted to say something, but I only acknowledged him with a nod.

“Oh, His Highness is here to help me… Since he excels in martial arts, he offered to correct my posture.”

As Roxanne met my gaze, her initial calmness and composure gradually faded. She began to stammer, her pale face turning redder by the second. Icarus, watching her flustered behavior, finally intervened with a sigh.

“His Highness, the Crown Prince, asked me to assist his fiancée with her archery training, so I’ve been helping her.”

“Yes, that’s right. If it bothers you…”

Why does he insist on calling him the Crown Prince? Despite this, I had to appreciate his diligence in coming out early to help, likely at his brother’s request. I responded to Roxanne.

“It doesn’t bother me.”

It didn’t bother me. The problem was that it didn’t matter at all. With that, I continued shooting arrows from my corner, while Icarus kept glancing at me as he corrected Roxanne’s posture.

‘Why would she ask Icarus for help when she has the continental archery champion as a tutor?’

In terms of pure archery skill, Agatha and I both surpassed Icarus. There were plenty of people in the academy better suited to help Roxanne with her posture. So why him?

These thoughts gnawed at me. Was it because Roxanne trusted Icarus’s skill over mine, even though I was better? I couldn’t say. Feeling increasingly uncomfortable, I left the range earlier than usual. But before I could even pass the training grounds, Icarus caught up with me.

“Dietrich, can we talk?”

“What about?”

“Why are you leaving so early? Your Highness’s fiancée said you usually train much longer.”

I watched him, hardly winded despite the distance he had run, and shared my conclusion.

“I couldn’t focus on training because I kept wondering why Roxanne asked you for help.”

I thought my meaning was clear: why would she ask ‘less skilled’ you instead of me or someone better? But Icarus didn’t seem to understand. When I looked up at him, I realized he had misunderstood completely, and a new kind of annoyance settled over me.

“You misunderstand.”

His voice, calm and low, carried a tone of respectful correction. But his face was the issue—his brows were drawn as if in pity, yet his mouth was pulled into a bright smile. I could almost guess his thoughts. When I started to walk away without a word, Icarus beamed even more and quickly caught up to walk beside me.

“I’m serious. Yesterday, my brother—”

Now even his voice carried a buoyant note. Unintentionally, I responded a bit sharply.

“You haven’t done anything to be misunderstood.”

“Huh?”

“Whether you train with her at dawn or not, there’s nothing for me to misunderstand.”

I tried to speak calmly, hoping it wouldn’t sound like I was reprimanding him. It really wasn’t a big deal. Icarus helping Roxanne with her posture wasn’t strange—Roxanne was the fiancée of the imperial prince, and Icarus was a prince. It could be seen as fostering family harmony, and it had nothing to do with me anyway.

“Take good care of her. The archery club can’t afford to lose any more new members.”

I patted Icarus on the shoulder twice and turned away from him. I decided I shouldn’t train in the early mornings anymore. The words I muttered to myself had nothing to do with today’s events.

***

“Please, I’m begging you. Can you go hunting instead of me?”

“Why don’t you just tell them you can’t make it for a day?”

“They’ve already matched the number of people and positions. I can’t back out.”

Since that day, Icarus had often settled in one corner of the archery range. He didn’t just help Roxanne with her posture; he also nudged the resting archery club members or hovered over the new members who were shooting well, giving unnecessary advice.

‘What’s with that guy? At this rate, he’s going to drive all our members away.’

I stared at his antics. He noticed my gaze and raised an eyebrow but continued to engage with the new members, who were too nervous to breathe properly under the prince’s attention.

“Dietrich!”

Frank, looking pale, called me to the corner of the archery range. When I mouthed, ‘You come here,’ Frank almost dragged me to where he had been standing. Holding my hands as if begging, he made a request I had never heard before.

“So… you want me to go bear hunting in your place?”

“Yes! This weekend. Please.”

I don’t really want to hunt unless my life depends on it… Seeing my reluctance, Frank pleaded more desperately, clinging to me. “The farm is in ruins because of that bear. They say this year’s wine and honey businesses are ruined. What should I do?” Behind me, I felt a prickling gaze. Icarus, looking like he had a lot to say, was standing nearby with his arms crossed.

Not because of him, but I slowly pulled my hand away from Frank. His face grew more desperate.

“I’ll give you all the pay.”

“That’s a given.”

“You’re the only one I can rely on. Oh, right, you said you wanted to learn an instrument. I’ll give you private lessons.”

Now that was tempting.

Frank often talked about how archery and playing an instrument were fundamentally the same, given the presence of strings. He was part of the music club, which I envied. Once, he even offered to give me an unused instrument, showing he was a decent guy.

“Suddenly, the practice room’s water pipes burst or something… The entire practice room and storage area were flooded.”

“Oh, that happened near the music club? So, did you have to clean it all up?”

“It was insane. When I heard that a water pipe had burst near the practice room, I hoped it wasn’t ours. But seeing music club members running and crying from afar… Anyway, we managed to clean up, but the scores are a problem. Everything stored in the warehouse got soaked.”

With a sigh, Frank ran his hands over his face repeatedly.

“It’s basically the history of our music club. The annotations on the scores, the interpretations left by our seniors—we can’t replace those. We’re drying out the soaked scores and rewriting the smeared notes, but everyone’s been up all night. I can’t just skip out.”

Frank took a deep breath and lowered his voice.

“But this hunting job is one of the few ways I can earn my living expenses. You know how expensive the academy is. And this work is all word-of-mouth; if I back out now, I won’t get another chance.”

Frank pleaded with me, almost on the verge of tears. The deal didn’t seem too bad: sacrificing a weekend for some money, regular instrument lessons, and helping out a friend in need. I couldn’t refuse.

I nodded, and Frank, beaming, moved to give me a hug. I quickly turned it into a high-five.

“Thanks, I’ll repay you big time later.”

I wondered what “repaying big time” would entail. Nodding, I smiled while still feeling the sharp gaze on my back.

***

“Bears?”

“Uh… yes.”

The first time I met the hunting party, I was enveloped in a chilling sensation. Not familiar with crime or shady dealings, I instinctively recognized the aura of people involved in some illicit activities.

‘What kind of job has Frank gotten himself into?’

He didn’t seem like the type to hang around with such people. Feeling a bit lost, I hesitated, and the leader of the group gave me a curt nod without any greeting.

“Make sure to keep your face covered. If you look young, they’ll dismiss you. Don’t talk much either, your voice might give you away.”

Thankfully, Frank had insisted I wear a mask, and I was glad I did. I had a sense that revealing my identity in this group would lead to trouble.

Next to us was a cart hitched to a horse, not even a proper carriage. Realizing this was our transport, I felt a wave of doubt. Really? I had to travel in such a primitive manner? As I hesitated to step onto the makeshift vehicle, a low, growling voice interrupted.

“What are you standing there like an idiot for? We don’t have time for this.”

Reluctantly, I climbed onto the rustic cart, wondering where things had gone wrong. But my troubles didn’t end there.

“Can’t you climb trees?”

A fellow archer clicked his tongue and offered his hand, indicating I should use him as a step. As I climbed up, thinking of myself as a cicada clinging to a tree, I pondered my situation.

‘Wait, do I really have to climb trees to catch a bear?’

But what if the bear climbs the tree I’m in? Bears are good at climbing trees. Feeling lost, I glanced at the other hunters in their positions, only to receive a scolding look of disdain.

“Get a grip. Our job is just to pin the bear down. Once you shoot, get out of there immediately.”

I nodded vaguely, still trying to make sense of this bizarre situation. It felt like I had been dragged into this rather than choosing it myself.

Then, a whistle sounded—a signal from the lookout that the bear was within range. I scanned the narrow path below the tree but saw only a leisurely passing carriage, with no sign of a bear or any animal.

Still bewildered and searching for the target, another archer beside me tapped my arm in frustration. When I turned with a confused look, the archer asked impatiently,

“Get it together! The bear’s here. Get ready to shoot. We need to shoot simultaneously!”

“I… I can’t see the bear. Where exactly is it?”

His initial exasperated chuckle quickly turned into outright laughter. He wiped a tear from his eye, his face filled with contempt.

“It’s in that carriage, you idiot. The bear.”

As he finished speaking, the emblem on the side of the carriage became visible through the trees.

“What are you doing? Shoot!”

Underneath the crossed swords emblem, a pair of fierce animal eyes glared out.

“You moron, shoot! Damn it, who brought this fool here?”

The hunter’s yelling in my ear, combined with the disdain and constant insults, left me momentarily stunned and unable to make a quick decision. When I finally recognized the face of the driver and the crest on the carriage he was driving, I realized something crucial.

The target wasn’t a bear.