PSW 07

Chapter 07

The forest was as quiet as a dead mouse.

Not even the usual chirping of birds could be heard.

Normally, in a setting like this, there should at least be a crow cawing eerily—“caw, caw”—to fit the cliché.

But here, between the dense trees, only the two silver moons shone silently.

I regretted cutting my skirt all the way up to my knees to avoid it bunching up.

A skirt in the forest was cumbersome and entirely impractical.

It would catch on branches, scratch my legs, and generally get in the way.

Rix had already disappeared far ahead, leaving no trace behind.

I kept tucking my hair behind my ears. Even now, the feel of the soft strands brushing my fingers didn’t feel like my own.

How long would it take to truly adapt to this body?

As I stared at the strands, they shimmered in the moonlight like someone had combed starlight into them. Even I couldn’t deny their beauty—it looked like a tiny galaxy.

Then, suddenly, light began to gather on the gun by itself. I hadn’t willed it. But as the glow pooled, I realized that monsters were nearby.

Was it instinct from my days as a national athlete, or a blessing from divinity? I didn’t know. What was certain, though, was that my fingers had already released the safety and loaded the gun almost instinctively.

A faint rustling sound reached my ears.

I aimed the gun quickly. Between the dense trees, I pulled the trigger. A bullet of pure white light shot forward.

Bang!

The sharp sound of impact made me thrill. Shooting and running like this made me feel like a child again.

The skirt rustled—perhaps caught on foliage—but I didn’t care. Sure, 10,000 gold was a lot, but it was worth it.

The crucial thing was, by the time I arrived at the spot, Rix was already there.

There was nothing.

He let out a small chuckle.

“Seems the saint shot at thin air.”

“No, there should be—!”

Then last night’s events flashed through my mind.

The monsters disappearing in a puff of ash the instant I shot them. Not a single bullet remained.

I widened my eyes at Rix.

He shrugged.

“It’s fine. It’s still 0 to 0.”

He had been counting on me!

I couldn’t even lift my head, embarrassed by my own stupidity. My lips pressed together in frustration.

No wonder he had been so confident.

After all, if only saints could kill monsters, this country would have been devastated long ago.

Still, I was annoyed that Rix had started a bet using me, knowing nothing.

The competitive spirit I hadn’t felt in a long time began to ignite.

To prove my skill, I would have to take Ferdinand along to confirm my victories—but he was scared, locked in the carriage.

If things continued like this, I would lose the bet to Rix, scoring a big fat zero.

I forced a smile and spoke as politely as possible, as if dealing with a difficult customer at a convenience store.

“Your Highness. Every time I shoot, the monster disappears, and there’s no real bullet left, so there’s no trace. Perhaps we should change the method a bit?”

Rix looked down at me, eyes full of curiosity. Being taller than me, his expression seemed innocently naïve. How cunning can someone appear?

“What do you want to do?”

I still held my smile lightly.

“Let’s go together.”

“Together?”

“Then we’ll see the same targets, won’t we?”

“Exactly.”

“Then we’ll know who kills faster.”

He wouldn’t reject that stingily, would he? After all, he was a prince.

Fortunately, Rix simply gave a small, inscrutable smile, then nodded slowly.

“That’s a good idea.”

“Great!”

I quickly turned my body before he could change his mind.

“So, where should we go?”

Then a large hand gripped my shoulder. My body and mind froze instinctively.

It felt alien to have someone touch me.

I couldn’t even remember what it felt like to feel another person’s warmth.

After the fire, nobody dared approach Minsuji, the burned version of me.

Even people who had come to see me at the orphanage were gone.

Coaches? Teammates? Everyone perished in the shooting range fire. I saw with my own eyes how they died.

The only survivor was Minsuji—me.

Now, no one even dared touch the scarred skin. People would flinch at the slightest contact.

Feeling awkward, I twisted out of Rix’s hand. He frowned slightly but quickly relaxed his expression as if nothing happened.

“Then let’s start hunting properly.”

The moment my feet hit the ground, a shiver ran through me. Pure instinctive fear.

But Rix moved deeper into the forest first.

I froze again, realizing I had only been at the forest entrance.

I already looked like a wreck.

And now, deeper into this?

I looked up: the black trees swayed ominously in the wind.

The leaves had darkened in the shadows.

The opening of the eerie cliché had begun.

In the distance, a wolf howled, sending chills down my spine. Black birds fluttered and perched on thick branches.

They tilted their heads in unison, as if about to sing a cursed song.

The forest depths were just darkness.

It felt like stepping into a black hole on my own.

As if reading my mind, he glanced back at me, signaling to follow.

I fiddled with my gun but stepped forward.

Strangely, I didn’t want Rix to see my fear, though I didn’t care about anyone else.

I inhaled deeply.

The habit I had before shooting came naturally.

Inhale, exhale. A few times. Only then did my previously chaotic thoughts calm.

“Let’s do this.”

I clenched my unarmed hand into a fist, reaffirming my resolve.

With Rix watching, I stepped into a world I didn’t yet understand.

White lights began gathering at the gun’s muzzle on their own.

5 to 4.

Fortunately, I was one monster ahead. Rix looked at the sky and said, “Let’s take one more and return.”

Glancing up, I saw the moon had vanished, replaced by the yellow light of dawn.

Having regained my former skill, my aim was perfect. Each kill restored my confidence.

“Did you always know how to handle a gun?”

“Well…”

I mumbled. I wasn’t sure about the original body’s owner.

“Just intuition…?”

Rix frowned, perhaps annoyed by being behind. He muttered under his breath:

“You were a bit too good for that.”

Of course.

I snickered silently.

Then, faintly, came the sound of rustling leaves far off.

Rix and I moved simultaneously, shooting light bullets.

But with a “thud,” one fell, and my light hit a tree and vanished.

I learned today that bullets imbued with divine power could harm only monsters—not trees. The tree was unharmed.

We approached the fallen monster together.

“Let me ask again. You never actually learned to shoot?”

Rix asked, cutting through the thorny underbrush with a small knife.

I rolled up my skirt to avoid tearing it further and followed him.

“Hm…”

He waited for my answer.

I hesitated, then said, “A few years ago.”

Not a lie, technically.

“So you remember a little.”

“Yes, a bit.”

“You seem to have talent.”

Giving advice to a former national shooting athlete… he chuckled but said nothing further.

Rix glanced back.

“Guess I’ll have to give you a set of clothes as a reward.”

“10,000 gold, remember.”

“That’s nothing.”

Ah, right. He was a prince. I had forgotten.

“If you’re giving it, make it short. These skirts are all too long and inconvenient.”

“You’re a saint, you can’t help it.”

“The saint has to move around, but if it’s that long, everything will be dead before I shoot!”

I complained, and he chuckled.

Where we arrived, a monster had a bullet embedded in its forehead. It writhed, letting out strange, guttural sounds.

Its body was black as the forest shadows.

Rix grabbed the rag it had worn, dragging it along.

I followed behind him.

Wherever the monsters passed, leaves piled on the ground.

No need to help.

Rix’s strength subdued the struggling monsters with a single move. If they resisted further, he just placed the gun to their forehead and fired twice, quieting them immediately.

In a slightly wider clearing, the five monsters Rix had caught were piled like straw.

“5 to 5.”

“A tie.”

“So my wish is lost?”

I stayed silent. That horse looked too tempting. I wanted to see him return without it.

Rix beat me to the idea.

“How about we exchange favors?”

“My horse and my story?”

“Why not?”

He said it matter-of-factly.

I finally nodded.

Though apologetic to the original body owner, stories could always be made up. And now, I was starting to desire that horse.

“Good.”

Rix smiled, satisfied. I hurriedly looked away.

Oh no.

With his handsome face so close, I didn’t know where to look.

If only he weren’t so cocky.

Especially when his golden eyes caught mine, goosebumps ran all over me.

“So… what should we do with these?”

I tried to change the subject.

He said indifferently:

“Burn them.”

“Here?”

“Where else?”

Shivering, I turned away.

“I’ll head back now.”

Rix grabbed my arm.

“You’re a saint, right?”

“And what of it?”

“Even if these burn, you might be needed.”

“I—!”

I bit my lip.