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..."

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

"Bloody hell!"

one that

on this

you held it wrong? Perhaps we can go ask the dwarves

do think that the way that Leopold held onto the gun was

a shot, his hand flung all the way up in the air, and he was pushed

next time and keep your feet

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

wrist, Leopold

I need

"...Mhm."

glancing at the barrier that had now enveloped

the barrier, you've got some time to

dwarves were planning on keeping the barrier, I

the

chosen to erect the barrier because of the weather. So we've got till it stops

"…Thought so too."

a small box in Leopold's

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

U, it would

expensive, but there was a reason for

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

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

to Angelica, but at the mere mention of it,

though; after all, even I wouldn't be

another note, the bullets could only be created by the dwarves as humans were incapable of creating

was also why humans didn't have guns as

could at most create bows or other relatively

require a skilled blacksmith but also advanced engineering skills that understood the core underlying principles of mana, which humanity severely

humanity had only been exposed to mana for less than a

the

"Take good care o—Ukkk."

my body and head. My knees buckled,

Leopold, who was next to me, caught

"Wow, Ren, you okay?"

He worriedly asked.

him,

"Ugh..."

"Ren? Ren?!"

teeth, Leopold's voice was faint in my

vision blurred slightly

not last for long

myself, I reassured Leopold that

"Ren, are you okay?"

but I'm now

onto my head, I

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

put the gun away

time, you

"Yeah..."

"You okay, now?"

"Yeah, no problem."

a smile and

left as fast

sceptical, Leopold no longer asked

looked at the entrance of

check on the others

"...got it."

you need anything, tell

nod, Leopold soon walked

on my face disappeared as my

'What was that?'

what had happened at the Monolith, or

somewhat familiar. Though I couldn't explain it, it

what in

I thought about it, the deeper

with me? Or was this really something

that it was the

—Booom!

explosion suddenly sounded. Following this, the whole city

the sound originated from, I

barrier, miniature waves appeared on

appeared to me that the barrier had

the direction of where the ripple centered, my brows furrowed

"They've started the siege…"

***