The Author's POV

"I thought that it might come in handy to you."

After having witnessed the prowess of the dwarves with their gun-like artifacts, I thought that it would've been a perfect fit for Leopold, who usually always helped out from the back.

This way, he wouldn't need to join the fights when commanding the others directly.

Aiming the gun around, Leopold asked.

"What are the requirements for using this little thing?"

"Just inject some mana, and it'll work. It's a ranked artifact."

The artifact was something that only dwarves could create and essentially worked as a gun.

Upon injecting mana into the device, the artifact would activate, releasing the bullets that were loaded inside.

Well, that's how it should work. Never used it, so I didn't know.

"Take good care of it; it cost me quite a lot."

Aiming the gun towards the distance, Leopold put his finger on the trigger.

"Sounds easy enough."

"Well, I still think you need time to get used to it."

Just like any weapon, it needed time to be mastered, and although Leopold was already good with the sword, at the end of the day, his talent did not lay in swordsmanship but in commanding.

Plus, just because he was now using a gun, it didn't mean that he couldn't use a sword.

He could very well use it during short-range fights and then replace it when he's helping out from the back; after all, the gun would be more useful when he's commanding a lot of people at once.

Looking through the status of the gun, Leopold suddenly asked.

"How's the recoil on this thing?"

"…how about you try?"

I also was curious about this.

Raising his brow and looking around, Leopold picked his ear to ensure he didn't hear wrongly.

"Try? Here?"

"I don't think anyone would mind being honest. Just shoot the air."

We were in the open, and most likely, the sound that would come out from shooting the weapon would get drowned out by the sound of the rain.

Furthermore, I don't think the dwarfs would mind this.

"Guess you're right."

Leopold was a simple person. At my words, he stopped thinking too much and put a bullet inside of the gun-like artifact.

Chi Chak—

Loading the artifact, Leopold aimed towards the distance with one hand.

His semi-long hair was already wet from the rain.

Closing one of his eyes and aiming towards the barrier in the distance, he softly muttered.

"I'm going."

Looking at him and taken aback by the fact that he was only using one hand, I blurted out.

"Wait, why are you using only one hand?"

"...just cause."

As soon as his words faded, a gentle hue shrouded his hand, directly entering the artifact.

Click—!

Leopold then pressed on the trigger.

—Booom!

Accompanied by a thunderous sound, a blue ball of energy shot out from the gun, directly aiming for the barrier in the distance. Travelling at incredible speeds, the blue energy travelled through the air, splitting the rain apart.

Before long, it appeared right before the barrier.

However, right as the energy was about to hit the barrier, something miraculous happened; the blue ball stopped mid-air before suddenly disappearing out of thin hair.

On the other hand, while the energy ball shot out from the gun, Leopold, the one responsible for the shot, was sent a couple of steps back.

"Uukkk..."

rebalance himself, staring at the

"Bloody hell!"

the one that held

on

the dwarves for things that can

an expert with guns, I do think that the way that Leopold held onto the gun

as he took a shot, his hand flung all the way up in the air, and he

both hands next time and keep your

using the gun properly. If every time he shot this happened, there was

wrist, Leopold nodded

need

"...Mhm."

my head and glancing at the barrier that had now enveloped

on using the barrier, you've got some

the dwarves were planning on keeping the barrier, I estimated that we had at least a day

the weather cleared

the barrier because of

"…Thought so too."

a small box in Leopold's direction,

on practicing, please don't carelessly treat the bullets as though they are as easy to

converted into U,

there was a reason

gained from beasts and monsters could be turned into powder which would in turn function as gunpowder. In fact,

had quite a lot of bullets on me was because I traded them for the core of the Baron ranked

I thought of giving it to Angelica, but at the mere mention of

though; after all, even I wouldn't be very

the dwarves as humans were incapable of

also why humans didn't

bows or

such as guns didn't only require a skilled blacksmith but also advanced engineering skills

though. After all, humanity had only been exposed to mana for less

Leopold on the shoulder,

"Take good care o—Ukkk."

suddenly ran through my body and head. My knees buckled, and I almost tripped on

next to me,

"Wow, Ren, you okay?"

He worriedly asked.

for him,

"Ugh..."

"Ren? Ren?!"

voice was faint

blurred slightly

last for long as I

a moment to rebalance myself, I

"Ren, are you okay?"

I'm now

onto my head,

my head suddenly started to hurt. Probably didn't

put the gun away and carefully

you should

"Yeah..."

"You okay, now?"

"Yeah, no problem."

forced a smile and stood

left as fast as

Leopold no longer asked

looked at the entrance of the tower in the

go check on

"...got it."

need

simple nod, Leopold soon walked

at Leopold's back, the smile on my face disappeared as my brows knit

'What was that?'

up due to what

it, it felt as though I had

in the

I thought about it, the deeper my

with me? Or was this really something

I wasn't sure, but I sure hoped that it was the

—Booom!

an explosion suddenly sounded. Following

of where the sound originated from, I saw

waves appeared on the

barrier had absorbed the attack from

where the ripple centered,

"They've started the siege…"

***