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 was pushed back, he let out a groan. Once he managed to rebalance himself, staring at the gun in his hand, he couldn't

"Bloody hell!"

that held

on this

we can go ask the dwarves for things that can

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

flung all the way

time and keep your feet planted

looks of it, he still needed a lot of practice before using the gun properly. If every time he shot this happened, there was no use in him

massaging his wrist, Leopold nodded

need to practice

"...Mhm."

that had now enveloped the whole mountain, I

the barrier, you've got some time

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

until the weather cleared

erect the barrier because

"…Thought so too."

in

carelessly treat the bullets as though they are as

into U, it would total around

but there was

powder which

was because I traded them for the core of the Baron ranked demon that I

of giving it to Angelica, but at the mere

all, even I wouldn't be very excited

could only be created by the dwarves as

why humans didn't

could at most create bows or other relatively simpler

blacksmith but also advanced engineering skills that understood the core underlying principles of

only been exposed to

the shoulder, I

"Take good care o—Ukkk."

through my body and head. My knees buckled, and I

was next to me, caught me by the

"Wow, Ren, you okay?"

He worriedly asked.

him, I couldn't

"Ugh..."

"Ren? Ren?!"

Leopold's voice was faint in my

vision blurred

luck, this did not last for

I reassured

"Ren, are you okay?"

but I'm now

head, I painfully

suddenly started to hurt. Probably didn't have

put the gun away

have some time, you should probably get

"Yeah..."

"You okay, now?"

"Yeah, no problem."

smile and

pain left as fast as

no longer asked about my

away, he looked at the entrance

check on

"...got it."

need

me a simple nod, Leopold

smile on my face disappeared

'What was that?'

due to what had happened at

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

what in the

more I thought about it, the deeper

was this really something due to

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

—Booom!

then that an explosion suddenly sounded. Following this, the

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

miniature waves appeared on the barrier before disappearing

to me that the barrier

of where the ripple centered,

"They've started the siege…"

***