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..."

let out a groan. Once he managed to rebalance himself, staring at the gun in his

"Bloody hell!"

that held onto the

on this

ask the

that the way that Leopold

his hand flung all the way

time and keep your feet

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

massaging his wrist, Leopold

right; I need to

"...Mhm."

head and glancing at the barrier that had now enveloped the

dwarfs are planning on using the barrier, you've got some time to

on keeping the barrier, I

until the weather cleared

the barrier because of the weather. So we've got

"…Thought so too."

small box in Leopold's

you're planning on practicing, please don't carelessly treat the bullets as though they are as easy to get as water. They

into U, it would

there was a reason for

monsters could be turned into powder which would in turn function as gunpowder. In fact, demon cores could also

had quite a lot of bullets on me was because

giving it to Angelica, but at the mere mention of

after all, even I wouldn't be very excited at the

note, the bullets could only be created by the dwarves as humans

why humans didn't have guns as

at most create bows or

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

all, humanity had only been exposed to mana for less

on the shoulder, I

"Take good care o—Ukkk."

suddenly ran through my body and head. My knees

next to me,

"Wow, Ren, you okay?"

He worriedly asked.

for him, I

"Ugh..."

"Ren? Ren?!"

my teeth, Leopold's voice was

vision blurred slightly

luck, this did not last for long as

rebalance myself, I reassured

"Ren, are you okay?"

but I'm

onto my head,

just that my head suddenly started to hurt. Probably didn't have enough

gun away and

time, you should probably get

"Yeah..."

"You okay, now?"

"Yeah, no problem."

a smile

left as

no longer asked about my

away, he looked at the entrance of the tower in the

on the

"...got it."

you need anything,

me a simple nod, Leopold soon walked

the smile on my face

'What was that?'

head was still messed up due to what had happened

somewhat familiar. Though I couldn't explain it, it felt as though I

what in the

it, the

Or was this really something

hoped that it was the latter and that this was

—Booom!

that an explosion suddenly

sound originated from, I saw a faint ripple appear on the enormous barrier enveloping the entire

throughout the whole barrier, miniature waves appeared

barrier had absorbed the attack

the direction of where the ripple centered, my

"They've started the siege…"

***