Matan’s Shooter

— Hmm, if you’re worried about the regular NPCs, we could at least stop by the central part of the New Continent. Since Ha Leeha is with us, we can continue to access Saur Land… Taking them to a safe place and coming back is an option.

Fernand, who had actively advocated for a trip to “Laputa”, proposed a compromise.

— Now that we can use ‘Arcane Bullet’, if Kaztor ever found out… even if we take them to the central or western New Continent or even the Old Continent, they would constantly be at risk of an attack.

— So, Alexander, you’re saying… we should keep them with us, right?

— Dangerous items are often safest when kept close by.

It was Alexander’s opinion that they should stay together to prevent the NPCs from falling into enemy hands.

Since Leeha already held the ticket to “Laputa”, it was a given that they would go there, sparing them from any major disagreements. However, the users all saw both pros and cons in the two opinions, making it difficult to choose readily.

There was only one straightforward option. Leeha, after a brief moment of contemplation, spoke up.

“Yes, senior.”

Kyle answered on behalf of the group.

Why did Fernand propose a compromise? It was because they were seeking a “safe place”, and in their minds, that safe place was their homeland, the Kingdom of Fibiel.

So, what if they slightly altered that concept?

“How about coming to ‘Laputa’ with us? It’s a land infused with divine power and seems distant from the Demon King’s Fragment or Kaztor. We might even uncover other secrets about ‘Arcane Bullet’ there. Or….”

Leeha made eye contact with each of the NPCs, especially focusing on Kyle’s expression.

“We might be able to… eliminate Zamiel. Who knows, it might be possible.”

Kyle’s brow momentarily furrowed. His face showed what looked like brief pain as if something had pierced through him.

Zamiel must have surely heard Leeha’s words. What had he said to Kyle?

“How about it? Can you hear Zamiel’s voice? Can you convey what he said to us?”

Kidd approached Kyle to ask. As the “brains” of the Three Musketeers, he wanted a detailed answer, but Kyle shook his head quietly.

“It’s impossible.”

“Why?”

Luger glared at Kyle. Even without a threatening tone demanding the truth, Kyle was already answering sincerely.

“It’s our ‘contract terms’.”

Kyle said with a smile. Luger wanted to ask what these contract terms were, whether all of Arcane Sniper had to make a contract, but he kept his mouth shut. He would eventually find out anyway.

“It makes sense. Returning to our homeland would only mean hiding. Bess, didn’t you say the same about Arcane Bullet? Without any special way to cure it, waiting there would mean…”

Rather than waiting for death, it was better to challenge it. Though Browless trailed off his sentence, everyone understood. Leeha also somewhat comprehended the NPCs’ feelings. They had only suffered until now, living like fugitives for twenty years, so it was natural they wanted to rest.

He fully understood that sentiment, but resting wasn’t the answer. This was the best possible solution at present.

“It would be safer this way. At least if we get to Laputa! Kaztor, who’s not qualified, won’t be able to enter! And if we can’t self-sustain food, well, there might be a way to deliver supplies.”

The safe place wasn’t the Old Continent but the newly discovered floating island.

As Leeha spoke, Elizabeth and Brown’s expressions changed.

“Dear?”

Elizabeth called out to Brown with a resolved look on her face.

Brown, reflecting her sentiments, replied, “We’ve been pushed this far; we shouldn’t show any more weakness. We’ve lived in this place free of human traces for twenty years, so there’s no reason we can’t survive on that sky island, right, honey?”

“Of course! Son, are you okay with it too?”

“Yes. As long as I’m with you and Father, it’s fine. As long as there’s even a slight chance… I’ll go anywhere.”

The family of three embraced each other tightly.

Browless looked at them with a pleased expression.

If the plan was set?

There was no need to delay anymore.

“Alright! Then, let’s all go together! We leave first thing tomorrow! Besides, black— ahem! Anyways, I am in a bit of a rush myself.”

Leeha hastily changed his words.

Regardless of the choice, the person who needed to move quickly was none other than Leeha himself.

― Hehehe… 24 hours from now. After 24 hours, my strength will start to leak. ―

‘I know. Shh!’

The current charge of Black Bass was 39.99%. Given it was already late at night after dinner, it would be right to say he had 24 hours of leisure left.

Thus, he needed to charge it as soon as possible.

‘I’ve already captured all the monsters nearby. Even if there’s nothing in Laputa, there could still be new life forms considered as monsters.’

Black Bass would enter a sleep mode again if its charge fell below 10%.

In other words, if it dropped to 29.99% and he couldn’t supply new blood, Black Bass would fall asleep again ten days later.

“Ahem, so Ha Leeha-ssi? About the achievements we were discussing earlier…”

Once everything was settled, Fernand quietly approached Leeha.

Alexander perked up his ears, carrying his plate, and strode over to sit down beside Leeha.

“This is really delicious.”

“Pfft, not this kind of thing! Alexander, you’re the number one ranked player! Spill some secrets!”

Leeha couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdly frugal (?) attitude of the top-ranked Alexander.

While Bailephus sighed, saying, ‘He is losing his qualification as my partner’, Luger and Kidd remained silent.

― Did you hear?

― If you heard it, of course, I did too.

― Tch, acting all tough. Anyways, Ha Leeha, just like during the conversation with Elizabeth last time…

― Hmm. You’re probably right.

The two were whispering to each other.

Kidd and Luger’s gaze lingered on Leeha briefly before moving simultaneously.

Their gaze was on Black Bass.

― He has awakened him.

Both crossed their legs simultaneously.

Then they observed the weapons neatly arranged on their side.

Luger’s eyes fixed on the Cobalt Blue Python, while Kidd’s gaze locked onto the Crimson Geckos.

― Damn brat.

They were waiting.

Waiting for their Ego Guns to awaken.

* * *

“Is there anything we forgot?”

“How could there be! Ha Leeha-ssi, you compared them directly yourself!”

Leeha alternated between the two maps in his hands before speaking to Fernand, who shouted back in an indignant voice.

“Hehe, alright. I get it. We’ve confirmed Fernand, and for the other spot—”

“How about three agility-related achievements? All three are grade A. I guarantee you haven’t acquired them yet.”

“Ugh, more importantly! Look! 〈Greaves made of Heroic Stone Ape’s Hide〉! It significantly increases physical defense and enhances jump power! There aren’t many agile items offering such good defense!”

Kidd and Luger’s struggle to obtain a spot in the Laputa journey Hall of Fame was quite desperate.

Leeha was thoroughly enjoying the situation with a chuckle.

Time had passed noon. Since they were to meet Ulrek after lunch, it was practically the last moment within Saur Land.

‘I might come back someday… but for now, it’s a bit regretful.’

What else could he have gained by staying here longer? There might have been opportunities to obtain secondary weapons fused with Saur Land’s technology, like pistols.

However, due to issues related to Kyle, Leeha had been too busy being dragged around by Elizabeth and Brown to gather specific information.

Under these circumstances, it might have been a good opportunity for the users, excluding Leeha.

“Is Alexander really not going to have anything in the end!?”

“Hmm…”

Alexander shook his head.

While he felt greedy, discovering a new side to him that made Alexander keep his own possessions hidden was an enjoyable moment for Leeha.

However, it wasn’t a good idea to favorably mention either Luger or Kidd in particular.

“Alright then, there’s no helping it. Both the achievements and the leggings look good. It doesn’t seem like it’s up to me to decide.”

The delicate balance in the relationship among the Three Musketeers meant that although Leeha could tilt the scales with his own power, he didn’t want to break the balance by becoming excessively close to either of the others or by flattering them.

“Hmm?”

“What? Then why―”

“Let’s decide by making a bet.”

Therefore, Leeha proposed a bet. Not just any bet between Kidd and Luger, though.

There was one more piece of information Leeha wanted to verify at this time.

A sly grin spread across his face. That face pointed toward Kyle.

“Remember what Brown once said?”

“Me? What did I say?”

“To our Browless. That Kyle’s skills are better than ours. Don’t you remember?”

Leeha was curious about Kyle’s shooting skills.

Brown clapped his forehead and laughed out loud.

“Ah, right! Now I remember. It was so obvious I momentarily forgot about it.”

“You probably forgot because it was such a ridiculous lie.”

Suddenly interrupting, Browless lifted the brim of his hat slightly, his eyes sharpening.

Seeing Browless’s expression, Brown shrugged his shoulders.

“Brow, as I’ve mentioned before, if you can’t recognize the gap between your skills and mine, it would be quite troubling.”

“Ha… Indeed, if it’s Saur Land, it might be well-suited as your grave, Brown. Overconfidence only leads to unmarked graves, a lesson you might personally demonstrate.”

“Hey, gentlemen! My point is… that we should test it out, right now!?”

Just as tension was rising, Leeha quickly intervened. Brown and Browless, who were about to draw their weapons, turned to look at him.

Kidd, Luger, and Kyle also directed their gazes at them.

“A test? How?”

To Elizabeth’s question, Leeha pointed at the three individuals one by one.

“Heh, I think it’d be fun to have a competition between Kyle, Kidd, and Luger. Maybe a casual shooting contest? That way, we can see who among you seniors is truly superior, don’t you think?”

Leeha’s heart was pounding excitedly.

―What are you up to?

―Do you plan to test us?

Luger and Kidd looked as if they thought it was a ridiculous proposition.

Perhaps Leeha wanted to see those very faces. Barely holding back his laughter, Leeha spoke to them.

―Why? It’s fair, isn’t it? Afraid you’ll lose to Kyle? Then back out if you wish.

―Grr… This guy…

―Backing out is not an option. After all, neither Kyle nor Luger can possibly match up to me.

―What’s that!? You wanna go!?

Once they stepped in, they couldn’t back out of the esteemed S-level achievements and the Hall of Fame. Formally speaking, they were unable to escape the pit that Leeha had dug for them.

‘I’m curious about Kyle’s shooting skills, but…’

Leeha looked at Luger and Kidd, who were bickering.

He knew they caught two Adult Lich Dragons each. With what skills? How?

‘These two are really noteworthy individuals.’

Leeha needed to verify the changes in Luger and Kidd’s skills. He was satisfied with the grand picture he had painted.

“Okay! So, what will the rules be?”

Just before they exited Saur Land, this final festival was about to begin.