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..."

to rebalance himself, staring at the gun in his hand,

"Bloody hell!"

wrist, the one that held onto

recoil on this

can go ask the dwarves for things that can be added to reduce the

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

the way up in the air, and he was pushed

next time and keep

the gun properly.

wrist, Leopold

right; I need to practice

"...Mhm."

head and glancing at the barrier that had now

the dwarfs are planning on using the

on how long the dwarves were planning on keeping the barrier, I

the

the barrier because of

"…Thought so too."

small box in

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

expensive that if converted into U, it would total

was

from beasts and monsters could be turned into powder

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

Angelica, but at the mere mention

though; after all, even I wouldn't be

dwarves

humans didn't have guns

could at most create bows or

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

was understandable, though. After all, humanity had only been exposed to

the shoulder, I

"Take good care o—Ukkk."

and head. My knees buckled, and I almost tripped on

next to me, caught me by the

"Wow, Ren, you okay?"

He worriedly asked.

for him,

"Ugh..."

"Ren? Ren?!"

voice

blurred

did not last for

a moment to rebalance myself, I reassured

"Ren, are you okay?"

I'm now

onto my head, I painfully

head suddenly started to hurt.

away and carefully looked

have some time, you

"Yeah..."

"You okay, now?"

"Yeah, no problem."

smile and stood up

left as fast as it

sceptical, Leopold no longer asked

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

go check on the

"...got it."

need anything,

simple nod, Leopold

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

'What was that?'

it because my head was still messed up due to what had

explain it, it felt

what in the

more I thought about it, the deeper

there something wrong with me? Or was this really something

I sure hoped that it was the latter and

—Booom!

suddenly sounded. Following this, the whole city

from, I saw a faint ripple appear on the enormous barrier

whole barrier, miniature waves appeared on the

me that the barrier had absorbed

direction of where the ripple centered, my brows

"They've started the siege…"

***