Chapter 74

Day 293 of Banishment: Exploration (4)
A crossbow. Also known as an arbalest.

While it seems to be commonly used in Bartolia, it is not a weapon frequently seen in Fractalia.

Its mechanism is simple: a support rod is attached perpendicular to the bow, an arrow is placed on it, and the drawn bowstring is hooked onto a trigger. When the trigger is pulled, the string is released, propelling the arrow forward.

One major advantage of a crossbow is that the bowstring is held in place by the trigger. This means that even without the muscle strength to keep the bow drawn, one can take careful aim. Additionally, it allows the user to carry the weapon with an arrow already set, enabling instantaneous attacks.

On the other hand, crossbows have their drawbacks. Reloading takes time after each shot, and pulling the bowstring back to the trigger position requires effort. Furthermore, its structure is more complex than a regular bow, making maintenance and repairs more labor-intensive.

Despite these considerations, Marylia decided to try making a crossbow.

Thus, on the 296th day of her banishment, Marylia set about crafting a crossbow.

"Oh, you all don’t need to worry. Go practice your archery."

She assigned the Iron Golems, who had come to offer their help, to archery training. Even for golems, training was important. The more they practiced drawing the bow and shooting arrows, the more their accuracy would improve, as their own knowledge accumulated through experience.

Simply transferring knowledge was not enough to achieve proficiency. The force required, the angle needed, and the trajectory of the arrow all depended on the individual. Since Marylia and the golems had different physiques and strengths, they needed hands-on experience to develop their own skills.

In other words, knowing something and actually doing it are two different things. Whether human or golem, this principle remained the same.

Thus, Marylia, alongside Jade and the Terracotta Golems, set to work crafting the crossbow.

She carved the wood into a bow shape, added a support to hold the arrow, and attached a mechanism for the bowstring. Then, she fitted the grip and trigger, before finally stringing the bow.

The bowstring was made by twisting iron wire together. A thinner wire would risk cutting Marylia’s fingers, so she opted for a slightly thicker one.

Because she used iron wire, she made the trigger and accompanying components out of iron as well. If she had made the trigger from wood, it would wear down from friction and eventually break. That would be a disaster.

"When restringing the bow, it takes quite a bit of force… Hmm, maybe I should make it adjustable? If I install a winding mechanism near the bow, I could tighten the string more easily… But that would make the structure too complicated. Let’s leave it as it is for now."

Pulling the string back to the trigger position after each shot would likely require considerable strength. However, modifying the mechanism to ease this process would make the design even more complex, and Marylia had no time for that. She wanted to take down the dragon as soon as possible!

Besides, the situations where she would need to fire an arrow herself were limited. If the dragon came flying straight at her, she would have to aim for its eyes and shoot—but that was about it.

"I’ll leave most of the work to the golems..."

For this expedition, Marylia planned to bring along about thirteen Iron Golems.

The golems assigned to iron sand extraction would continue their work, but she would take the ones involved in ironworking and general tasks. The Smith golems, who were mass-producing arrows, bows, and spears, would remain behind, as they couldn't afford to pause their work for training.

Still, with thirteen Iron Golems, including Jade, firing a volley of arrows at once, even a dragon wouldn’t escape unscathed.

The plan was to pierce its wings to prevent it from maintaining altitude. Once it was forced to land, they would finish it off with spears.

"Doesn’t seem like I’ll have much of a role to play… Well, it’s better if I don’t have to use the crossbow at all."

Smiling, Marylia gazed at the nearly completed crossbow.

If everything went smoothly, that would be ideal. She was simply making sure they were prepared for any contingency.

And so, with bows, arrows, and spears ready, the 299th day of her banishment arrived.

"Alright, let’s head out! Take care while we’re gone."

Marylia and her army of golems once again set out from their base.

This time, she brought slimes along as well—to serve as soft, squishy companions on the journey. Having creatures to sleep and eat with provided comfort and stability for the mind.

"... Hehe. This feels oddly nostalgic~"

However, even without the slimes, Marylia felt strong.

After all, she was leading an army of Iron Golems armed with bows and spears. It reminded her of the time she commanded knights. The memory filled her with courage, as if she had reclaimed a part of herself.

"It’s a rare opportunity. Let’s enjoy ourselves."

Marylia smiled and squinted at the sight of the Iron Golems advancing.

Their iron bodies reflected the morning sun, dazzling to the eyes.

Their first destination was the makeshift base where they had accidentally broken through the floor.

Having traveled this route once before, they were somewhat familiar with it. However, the path led through mountains and forests. With monsters awakening from hibernation, there was a high chance of being attacked, so they remained constantly vigilant.

… At times like these, the Iron Golem army was incredibly strong.

Each golem shared information with the others, acting in perfect coordination as if they were a single living organism. A force with no blind spots, no lapses in vigilance, and no fatigue—of course, they were strong.

Marylia moved within the protective formation of the golems when, suddenly, the golem on her right flank shifted with a clank. A beat later, all the golems moved simultaneously, charging toward a monster ahead on the right—a basilisk, likely just awakened from hibernation and searching for prey!

"Oh my~ how excellent."

The speed of their decision-making and reaction was remarkable. In no time, the Iron Golems had surrounded the basilisk and swiftly took it down.

"… This really is fun~ Don’t you think so, too?"

Marylia beamed at Jade, who was standing beside her. Jade was positioned close to Marylia to protect her in case the basilisk broke through the encirclement or if other monsters attacked. When she looked at him, he gave a small nod.

… An excellent golem indeed!

They pressed forward with minimal breaks and reached the makeshift base by dusk. There was still some time before full nightfall.

"If we hurry, we can reach the mining base. Let’s go."

Marylia decided to continue moving. She wanted to get as close as possible so they could begin the dragon hunt first thing in the morning.

"… This base lost its floor, after all…"

… And above all, she didn’t want to sleep in a house without a roof or a floor! The mining base’s makeshift quarters were still in better condition. Though… that one had a skeleton under the same roof.

Thus, they safely returned to the makeshift base near the mine.

"Ah~ the skeleton is still here~… Pardon our intrusion."

Marylia offered a prayer to the skeleton before starting preparations for camp. Though it was a makeshift base, it at least had a roof and a floor, making things more comfortable.

"Let’s see~ Set the frame here, hook it up… Yes, that should do~"

This time, knowing there was a floor, she had brought bedding accordingly.

It was a collapsible, portable bed—something like a simple hammock.

Wooden frames were assembled into a rectangle, with a hammock stretched across them. The frame was then propped up with supports beneath it to keep it off the ground.

She wedged large stones under the hammock frame to keep it elevated. This way, even with her weight on it, the hammock wouldn’t touch the floor. It seemed like she would be able to sleep without waking up stiff and sore.

Once the bed was set, it was time to prepare a meal.

Tonight’s meal was soup.

She had brought bottled water, but she had refilled the emptied ones along the way. Boiling the water would serve both as purification and preparation for the soup.

"First, boiling the water… The extra goes back into the bottle… Ahh, having a pot is wonderful~"

The pot she was using wasn’t the one she had always carried. It was a new one, crafted by a Smith golem. She was already benefiting from its craftsmanship, boiling water, setting aside some for drinking tomorrow, and using the remaining hot water for soup.

The ingredients were simple—grains, smoked meat, and a bit of herbs. Nothing fancy, but a warm meal was invigorating. Even though spring had arrived, the mornings and evenings remained chilly. A hot soup in such weather was delightful.

"Let’s save the rest for breakfast tomorrow."

Satisfied after her meal, Marylia placed the pot beside her. There was still nearly half left.

A nearby slime was happily devouring the softened smoked meat, but even with its help, they wouldn’t finish it all—that was intentional since she had prepared enough for breakfast as well.

"Might as well offer some."

She placed the pot near the skeleton with a smile. No words of thanks or complaint came from it, of course. The dead had no voice.

"Alright, let’s get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be fun."

Marylia smiled, changed into something more comfortable, wiped herself down with a damp cloth to freshen up, laid her coat over her bed to make it cozier, and finally settled into the simple bed.

Having walked so much, she fell asleep quickly. Cradling the slime, with the golems standing guard, she drifted into a peaceful sleep.

… That night.

"… Oh my?"

Marylia woke up. No—‘woke up’ wasn’t quite right. She immediately recognized the strange sensation.

"This is… a dream? Yeah, it’s a dream~"

Realizing it instantly, she focused her thoughts—and just as she willed, a cute little vine sprouted from the base floor and bloomed into a flower.

… Yes, this was definitely a dream.

"Is there a dream demon here? Ugh, how unpleasant~"

She glanced around suspiciously.

Some monsters could drag people into dreams and drain their life force. However, if such a creature existed here, she wondered how it had survived alone on this uninhabited island. It seemed unlikely.

Still wary, Marylia searched her surroundings—

"Young miss… over here…"

Hearing the voice, she turned around.

"Young miss…"

"Ew~ The skeleton?!"

The skeleton, rattling its bones as it laughed, called out to Marylia—so she responded with a flying kick!

What do you think about this chapter?