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..."

managed to rebalance himself,

"Bloody hell!"

wrist, the one that held onto the artifact, he

on this

it wrong? Perhaps we can go ask the dwarves for things that can be added

wasn't an expert with guns, I do think that the

flung all the way up

hands next time and keep your feet planted

properly. If every time he shot this happened,

Leopold nodded his

right; I need to practice

"...Mhm."

and glancing at the barrier that had now enveloped the whole

using the barrier, you've got some time

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

until the

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

"…Thought so too."

a small box in Leopold's direction, I

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

converted into U, it would total around 500,000U

was a reason

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

because I traded them

it to Angelica, but at the mere mention of it,

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

be created by the dwarves as humans were incapable of creating

why humans didn't have guns as of

bows or other relatively simpler

blacksmith but also advanced engineering skills that

humanity had only been exposed to mana for less

Leopold on the

"Take good care o—Ukkk."

ran through my body and head.

who was next to

"Wow, Ren, you okay?"

He worriedly asked.

for him, I

"Ugh..."

"Ren? Ren?!"

Leopold's voice was faint in my

vision blurred slightly

last for long as I

I reassured

"Ren, are you okay?"

I'm

my head, I painfully

my head suddenly started to hurt. Probably didn't

put the gun away and carefully looked

you should probably

"Yeah..."

"You okay, now?"

"Yeah, no problem."

a smile

pain left as

longer asked about my

bullets away, he looked at the entrance of the

check on

"...got it."

you need anything, tell

a simple nod,

the smile on my face disappeared as my

'What was that?'

messed up due to what had happened at the

I couldn't explain it, it felt as though I had a similar headache in the

what in the

thought about it,

with me? Or was this really

sure hoped that it was the

—Booom!

an explosion suddenly sounded. Following this, the whole

where the sound originated from, I saw a faint ripple appear on the enormous

the whole barrier, miniature waves appeared on the barrier before disappearing not long

to me that the barrier had

of where the ripple centered, my

"They've started the siege…"

***