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The next day, Maria went out to the courtyard of the mansion and instructed Michelle-chan to shoot arrows on a target board.
Though Michelle-chan tilted her head in confusion, she still followed Maria’s instructions.

She nocked an arrow on the small hunting bow created for little girls and stretched the string. Then she focused on the target and released it.
Despite the lack of power, the arrow flew over the mountain area, and though it didn’t hit the bullseye, it was able to hit the lower area of the target.

「Hou, It sure is amazing that you could reach such a long distance at this age. As expected of someone who has a Marksmanship Gift」
「Ehehehe~」

After patting Michelle-chan’s head and praising her, Maria took us to the target in order to confirm the results.
The arrow was off the bullseye and buried itself into the target, by almost half of the arrowhead.
With this amount of power, it should be good enough to hunt small beasts.

「Hmm, it’s still a little too shallow」
「That couldn’t be helped, you don’t have that much power yet. You should boast a bit more reaching this level at this age though」
「That’s right, Michelle-chan is great! 」

As a matter of fact, the distance where she fired her arrow exceeded 10 meters. It was quite surprising for a newbie like her to reach this amount of distance. Adding to that is the fact that she only used a crude hunting bow made for children.

「Let’s go back to the place where we were before. Michelle-chan, do you want to continue with some more practice?」
「Ah, yes~!」

Returning to where they started, Michelle-chan fired an arrow again. But this time, the difference is that Maria applied strengthening magic on her.
Maria, as one of the rearguard support, also has some knowledge of interference magic like boost and enhancements. Of course, her skill isn’t that great if compared to Maxwell’s level of mastery.

The arrow draws the same trajectory as before, hitting the lower-left area of the target.
This time, however, unlike how it only got buried like the previous one, the lower-left area of the target broke and the arrow pierced through.

「Ah, Ahhh!?」
「Seeing that, you don’t even need to check, right? With that, don’t you think that the Interference Magic is also great?」
「Uu, Un」
「If Nicole is able to apply the same effects, then you can do more than just this」

I rush to the target with quick steps, and then I confirmed that the target definitely broke.
There were scattered fragments of the board that was pierced, and I could clearly see how much the power has increased.
The small arrow that she fired was actually able to pierce through such a hard looking target.
This shows just how much power enhancements from the interference system could do if properly used.

「This is… amazing」

I was also able to receive enhancements from the interference system before.
However, because I was originally pretty versatile, I already have many powerful attack skills at that time.
It was quite surprising that I only realized how beneficial it would be since I never had the opportunity to actually apply it before.

「You understand, right? If Nicole-chan do her best, then you would reach this level soon」
「Un」
「Ah… it ended?」

We could hear Michelle’s voice from where she was.
She was staring at her hand holding the bow. Perhaps, she felt that the presence of strengthening magic has disappeared.

「Strengthening doesn’t last long but it is quite effective. It would usually last for about a minute. When you use it, you should always think of the best time and place to do so.」
「I see~」
「Though the effect of strengthening was able to let the arrow pierce through a wooden board, the effects would definitely be lowered against fully-armored opponents. But it will still be very useful when starting as an adventurer.」
「Un, that’s how it is」

The power to pierce through a wooden board would already be strong enough to penetrate the human skin and body.
If you can precisely use this magic and utilize its full potential, then you could even use it as a trump card.
Though the transformation magic which was mentioned earlier will still my main aim, and a magic that I want to learn.

After all that happened that day, I still wasn’t able to use magic. It feels like my memory of not being able to use magic is interfering with how I activate it.
I could probably go on without magic, but it will be a really high wall to climb if I couldn’t learn it.

And in the meantime, Michelle-chan was doing her best training to shoot arrows. Her hit rate was so high that you wouldn’t even consider her as a child if you only focus on the results. However, a beginner is still a beginner. Adding to that is because she is just a child. But in the future, she will definitely be a good partner if I can properly strengthen her bow prowess.

「Fue~……」

After the training, I am now so tired and is flopped in the bathroom. The mansion’s bathroom is so wide and there are even massage beds prepared inside.
I lied down on one and asked Finia for the usual massage.

To be honest, having a naked girl massage another cute little girl would have been unthinkable for me if it was my previous life, but now I am that little girl in question and we are of the same sex so it’s fine.
There is no need for me to hold back since Finia is serving as an exclusive servant for me after all.

「And thus, the number of dangerous secrets that should not be revealed steadily piled up」
「Eh? Were you accumulating stress because of me? But Nicole-sama is just a young child, and there is no reason for you to be ashamed of anything」
「Iyaaa~ that’s not what I’m trying to say」

Despite my comments, I can’t actually explain it in detail.
While flopped on the massage bed, I sneakily peeked through my fingers covering my face, taking a quick glance at her body as she continues the gentle massage with her smooth fingers.

Then I soaked myself in warm water after the massage. Unnn~ it was such a bliss.

「But, was it fine?」
「Nn~ what do you mean?」
「It’s about going to Raum. 2 years later, Nicole-sama would only be 7 years old」
「But won’t Finia also come along with us」
「Won’t you be lonely leaving your parent behind?」
「Um, well, I wouldn’t say that I won’t be」

For the past me, Lyell was considered a rival, but I don’t hate him that much. And in the case of Maria, I have received a lot of favor.
Even if I have my secrets, I don’t really feel bad living with the two of them together.
I would also feel sad leaving behind the two of them.

But because I also considered the two of them as good comrades that the impression is different. I have already prepared myself to leave them behind at some point.
The problem is how a 7 year old like me can do so. If I made a lot of excuses, then it would only end up becoming too suspicious.

「But well, if we don’t go, then I will still be forcibly separated from mom and dad. If I ever had a long vacation, I think it would be better to return home though」
「That, I agree. Certainly, if you got taken in by the royal palace, then everyone won’t be able to easily meet you anymore」
「And thinking about such consequences, the other option would allow me to freely meet the people I want to meet, then going to Raum would be the only choice, right? That’s why I choose that option」
「……Nicole-sama, there are times when you easily speak of such difficult stuff, huh?」
「We, well, it’s not really that difficult, you know? Maybe because I’ve been studying with a lot of things during mom’s class」

When I am cornered like this I could only use studies as my reason, she reluctantly accepted my answer.

「Hue……」
「Nn, what’s wrong?」

Finia washed my back and made me raise a weird screech out of surprise.
She then proceeds to wash me again with her focus on my back.
It was kind of ticklish.

「Nicole-sama, did you somehow add some muscles?」
「Really!?」
「It is quite disappointing because the squishy feeling is starting to disappear」
「Finia, your real intentions are leaking out」

Though neither sorcery nor swordsmanship progressed, I’m still happy that I’m finally gaining some muscles.
And so gradually, I continued growing little by little, and that is until my childhood days are over.