“Yes, this is the gun we mass-produce. It’s called the ‘Crow Rifle.'”
Today, I present to you our dream new weapon, the rifle, brought to you by the genius alchemist Simon Friedrich Baldiel and the skilled partnership of the Stratos Blacksmith Shop.
Behold this refined design. This is a culmination of a pursuit of functional beauty with no wasted effort. The harmony of rugged steel with the elegant grain of the grip and stock is truly a work of art!
“While it looks almost identical to the prototype rifle we made before, the internals have been significantly simplified. The number of parts has also been reduced to about half, making maintenance easier and, above all, it’s less likely to break.”
The beautiful ‘Crow Rifle’ guarantees durability as a weapon. Adventurers like you will feel at ease. Whether in the searing desert, freezing snowy mountains, or poison-laden jungles, this ‘Crow Rifle’ will perform stably in any dungeon.
“I mean, the power is the same as the prototype rifle, but the magazine capacity has been slightly increased.”
Now, what most adventurers are probably most curious about is its power.
Don’t be surprised; with this one gun, not only can swordsmen and warriors without magical power compete, but even healing mages can achieve equivalent attack power and range to an average low-level attack magic.
“Of course, automatic fire is still out of reach, so it remains bolt-action.”
Using it is incredibly simple. Aim, pull the trigger. How about that, easy, right? There’s no need to memorize long incantations or draw complex magic circles. Even if you’re someone who can’t read or write, don’t worry. The ‘Crow Rifle’ always delivers magical power with just one action.
After firing one shot, it doesn’t end there. Please, pull that lever in front of you. The empty cartridge has been ejected, and the next round is loaded.
Yes, with just this simple action, the ‘Crow Rifle’ can fire the next shot immediately. It allows for fast and reliable continuous attacks, quicker than a clumsy rookie mage can chant!
“I think it’s more than enough performance to handle monsters up to Rank 2. As long as the bullets hit, you can take down Rank 3 monsters too.”
For the budding adventurers among you, perhaps you haven’t found dependable companions. Have you ever had this experience?
You find a monster in the dungeon that’s just the right strength to hunt. However, there are a few too many of them, and there’s one troublesome one mixed in… it’s a bit risky to challenge them. Wise adventurers would reconsider based on the disparity of power between you and them and might just have to swallow their tears and give up.
But with this ‘Crow Rifle’, those frustrating feelings will be put to rest!
You don’t need magical talent or archery skills. Just aim and shoot correctly. With that alone, you can safely hunt monsters from a distance.
Having a reliable means of long-range attack will revolutionize your adventurer life. Your tactical options will be limitless, and how you use it is up to you. Now, let’s grab this ‘Crow Rifle’ and aim for a higher rank of prey!
“As for the price, it’s still undecided.”
Payment methods include cash in full, as well as installment payments up to twenty-five times. Furthermore, for a limited time, a bayonet to attach to the rifle for close combat will also be included!
To purchase, visit the Stratos Blacksmith Shop or the nearest Mordred Weapon Trading Company—
“—Hey, older brother, are you listening?”
“Ah, I’m listening.”
Oh no, Simon is so enthusiastically explaining the mass-produced rifle that I unintentionally slipped into a monologue like some infomercial in my mind.
Before heading out with Simon to search for the Ancient Golem, I was shown around the factory where the rifles are manufactured.
This factory, as Simon explained before, is one of the factories owned by the Mordred Weapon Trading Company. It’s about the size of a school gymnasium, a rugged stone warehouse-like structure. It has a somewhat dated feel, but it’s solidly built, and upon closer inspection, it is quite impressive.
All the equipment for producing guns is, of course, in-house. After all, there are no tools or facilities for making guns in this other world. Not only do the gun parts themselves need to be made, but bullets and gunpowder also must be created as a set. Simon designed and had all the production equipment made himself, which includes everything.
Thanks to that, it seems that more than half of any substantial reward money would go toward this capital investment.
“I hope the guns sell well.”
“Business is something you have to take your time with.”
It’s likely that the demand for rifles comes from beginner and intermediate adventurers, those with less than expert skills. Those who lack a magician who can handle stable-power attack magic and don’t have superior archery techniques are exactly the ones who need guns.
On the flip side, for magicians like Lily and Fiona, guns are just toys, and there’s no need to equip them.
It’s a disadvantage in terms of appeal that high-ranking adventurers above Rank 4 aren’t interested. However, most adventurers are below Rank 3, in the beginner to intermediate range. Additionally, there are many small organizations, like the village self-defense corps, that don’t have top-notch users. The demand should be thick enough.
“For now, we can only sell this Crow Rifle.”
“What about the machine guns?”
“They are somewhat miniaturized, but we’re still not ready to launch them.”
When it comes to mounted weapons, they become too large to take on quests. You could use space magic to transport them, but those adventurers possessing that would probably have means of attack magic with more power than a machine gun.
“I’ll keep improving it little by little. But if there are orders for mounted types, I’ll produce them.”
“We could even swap out half of the sky cannons in the Spada castle for machine guns right now.”
“The military still needs more proven performance before they can officially adopt it.”
It appears it won’t be that simple. If there were some competition for new weapon adoption in the Spada Army, it would be a chance to promote it.
For now, it seems we can only aim for steady distribution.
“Alright then, it seems everyone is ready, so let’s head out.”
After finishing the factory tour, I set out on the investigation quest to ‘Mikene Ruins’ along with Simon’s party, ‘Gunslinger.’
Three days of traveling from Spada by carriage brought us safely to our destination, and we promptly stepped into the dungeon.
“Hey, this dungeon is lame; no monsters are showing up at all!”
Walking through the weathered stone ruins for nearly an hour, the frustrated voice belongs to Galdan, the Golem member of the ‘Gunslinger.’
It’s pretty clear from the outside that he’s a character completely alien to patience or endurance. During the Galahad War, he was the only one out there, standing out and getting beaten by Elio.
Yet, he’s all fired up to unleash the new gatling-type machine gun he’s equipped, so his patience is probably even shorter than usual.
The machine gun Galdan wields is just a slightly smaller version of the prototype gatling gun Simon used during the war; it’s still not something an ordinary human could carry easily. It’s only because Galdan is particularly large and powerful that he can use it as a hand weapon. Well, I could carry it easily if I wanted to, but then again, ‘The Greed’ is about the same in weight.
“Shut up, Galdan. What if your loud voice attracts some dangerous monsters?”
Zack, the bald-headed big man and a proper adventurer, gives Galdan some sensible advice. He’s equipped with a battle axe that looks familiar and, in addition, the new product, the Crow Rifle, which’s said to aim for one rank higher monsters.
As a member of the ‘Gunslinger,’ he has continued practical tests from the prototype to the completion of the Crow Rifle, so he’s quite skilled with handling guns. Simon has even given him a stamp of approval for his disassembly and assembly skills.
However, it seems his aim is still a bit lacking. But comparing him to Simon is probably a bit unfair.
“What’s with you, Zack? Are you always so scared?”
“Listen up, this junk, while guns are amazing weapons that can unleash deadly long-range attacks even for talentless people like ordinary folks, they are useless against opponents that can’t be shot through.”
Zack seems to have already understood the characteristics of guns. Perhaps because he is a human that is almost a commoner, lacking extraordinary bodies or special abilities like Galdan, he quickly understands it.
In any case, this dungeon is home to creatures like gargoyles whose bodies are made of stone. It’s possible that the Crow Rifle might not be able to penetrate or break through their hard stone bodies. Moreover, there are goblin mages who are capable of excellent defensive magic that can completely block the bullet’s power, making them similarly unfavorably matched.
The trait of this other world is that even with guns from the previous world, the monsters are not easy opponents that would allow one to run amok, which is what makes it so scary.
“Heh, it’s not worth it to just kick around weaklings! I’m aiming for much bigger prey!”
“Just being able to scatter weaklings like that is already impressive enough. Even this little cat girl can take out a goblin with a single pull of the trigger.”
“That’s right, nyah! I’m amazing, nyah!”
I decided not to interrupt, thinking she wasn’t being praised.
Among this group, the youngest member, Nyako, a 15-year-old cat beastgirl who just became an adult this year, was happily wiggling her cat ears, so I felt it was best not to dampen her spirits.
I know this girl; she was the only healer among those isolated on the castle wall during the Linfeldt battle, so I remember her face well.
Since I darted out halfway through, I’m not aware, but it seems she became friendlier with Zack during that battle. From what I hear, she has followed the ‘Gunslinger’ not just because she has taken a liking to them, but because as a Rank 1 adventurer with underwhelming healing magic skills, she simply had nowhere else to go. Such are the struggles of new adventurers.
In reality, despite her young demeanor that might seem unreliable for an adventurer, she has already had numerous experiences taking down goblins with a single hit. Just being able to perform a full incantation of ‘Mild Recovery’ with a 50% chance makes-up a minimum where she can protect herself and support her companions. Of course, she lacks any martial arts skills.
Even with just the abilities of a young girl like hers, with this ‘Crow Rifle’, she poses no fear against goblins. She embodies the slogan that even a frail healing mage can be at ease with it.
Nyako had a short staff for healing magic tucked at her waist and was carrying a Crow Rifle slung over her shoulder, just like Zack.
By the way, while her disassembly and assembly skills are still a bit shaky, Simon says her shooting skills are better than Zack’s. She can use both guns and healing magic, placing her class as ‘Healer’.
It might be good to call myself a ‘Half-Baked Soldier.’
“But this time, my older brother is here as my escort, so most monsters should be manageable.”
“Heh, that’s right.”
“Hey! I could protect Simon all by myself!”
“Stop competing unnecessarily. That Nightmare Berserker is not something a mere Galdan could handle.”
“What did you say, you cat!”
“Don’t call me a cat!”
“Hey, I’m telling you to keep it down—”
From what I can see, the party members are indeed getting along well. Simon has finally found some good companions and is likely enjoying his adventurer life.
Just as I thought it was a bit heartwarming, I felt something on my sensor. Well, I could sense it myself too.
“Everyone, stop! There’s a monster coming at the intersection a hundred meters ahead.”
“Understood, prepare to be on guard!”
Receiving my reconnaissance report, the party leader Simon immediately gave instructions to prepare for battle. The members silently took their positions, as if they were used to it.
In the center is Simon, with Zack and Nyako flanking him. Galdan and I are at both ends.
We are currently progressing down a large street. If the enemy is coming from the front, it would be obvious to line up and concentrate our firepower.
“……Here they come!”
“Whoa, there are more than I expected!”
“Heh, it’s just a bunch of goblins, skeletons, and orcs, nothing but weaklings!”
“They’ve noticed us too!”
The group of monsters appeared in a horde on the main street, numbering around twenty. As Galdan said, it’s a mixed unit of three types of monsters, but since they’re all humanoid without any special abilities, they’re not particularly concerning—wait, hold on.
“Isn’t it strange that different monsters are organized together?”
Simon is right.
This dungeon has the reputation of being a dangerous city where different species fight each other. It is definitely not a coalition of all monsters banding together to attack adventurers. Wild monsters lack the intelligence to negotiate and form alliances like humans do, which would be necessary for such diplomatic strategies.
However, if they can be controlled collectively by different monsters…
“They’re undead. Someone is commanding them.”
The presence of magical power is unmistakable. Moreover, if you look closely, various scars are prominent on the bodies of the monsters that appeared. Some even have large wounds that clearly seem fatal.
Every single one of them is undead.
“Anyway, we have no choice but to start by intercepting them. Let’s do this, Simon—’Black Soil Barrier.'”
Combat is unavoidable. As a final preparation, I create a wall that covers all members. The pitch-black wall rises in an instant, with gun ports opened for firing in front of each of us. It’s a makeshift stronghold.
“Okay! Everyone, take your positions—”
Simon wields ‘Thunderbird,’ Zack and Nyako equipped with ‘Crow Rifles,’ Galdan with prototype Gatling Gun No. 2, and I hold ‘The Greed,’ waiting for the undead monsters charging towards us with a roar.
Among the enemies, there are a few armed with bows and crossbows, who have already begun sporadically shooting arrows. However, our front-line defense is already solid. No one is panicking or afraid; we can attract their attention perfectly.
“—Fire!”
At Simon’s command, the guns unleash fire simultaneously. The front-line enemies charging at us with swords and axes are instantly obliterated by the crossfire of me and Galdan. No one can get close beyond a certain distance.
The trio with rifles takes aim at the enemy archers.
Even though they are undead, I know very well that they are not immortal beings. They receive sufficient damage to their flesh, scattering their false vitality, and they return to an eternal sleep once again.
“Cease fire!”
In no time at all, the undead troops were completely annihilated. The results are excellent.
“Really, I’m glad you’re here, older brother. The firepower is completely different.”
“It’s because the weapon is good.”
I’ve experienced the difference that having this gun or not can make way too much during the Gluttony battle. The firepower is substantial.
“Hehe, I feel safer with you, older brother, than with Ms. Sophie.”
“Well, thank you.”
Simon’s smile is dazzling. It washes over my heart. I feel like I haven’t seen the pure smile of a girl like that for quite some time.
“Hey, don’t get cocky! I took out more enemies than you did!”
“Huh? With a normal machine gun and your ‘The Greed,’ the firing speed is over ten times different, so that’s impossible.”
Given the absolute performance difference, Simon pouts in rebuttal, and Galdan looks somewhat downcast, as if feeling defeated. Perhaps Galdan wanted to show off to Simon. I understand his feelings; he’s a cute friend after all.
“That said, why are there undead…”
“I haven’t heard of any monsters except skeletons turning undead.”
“Goblins and orcs have turned into zombies!”
This is not the ‘Tomb of Revival’ ruled by a lich; it’s not a den of undead monsters. There are only a few naturally occurring skeletons wandering around; most are live monsters.
“Could it be that like with Iskia, a monster that controls other monsters has appeared?”
“No, this is the work of a necromancer—hey, you’re watching us, right? How about greeting us with at least one word?”
I point the smoking barrel of ‘The Greed’ toward a crow perched on the eaves.
Yes, this crow is a familiar. Perhaps due to its clear transmission of visual information and such to its master, its aura of magical power is quite different from that of a normal animal.
“…Hehe, as expected of the renowned hero of the Galahad War, ‘Black Nightmare Berserker.'”
A high-pitched, irritating male voice echoed from the crow. Does it have voice communication capabilities? What a remarkable thing.
With a flap, the familiar crow took off and perched right in front of us, precisely on top of the still-formed ‘Black Soil Barrier.’
That being said, my face is known… I’ve truly become famous.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?”
“My name is Zonda Zoldart. I am a humble traveling necromancer.”
Hmm, I don’t recognize this person.
“Zonda, you say!?”
Oh, one of my party members knows him.
“Do you know him, Zack?”
“Yes, boss… this guy’s name has been on bounty notices from the Guild for decades.”
By the way, Zack calls me boss. Simon calls me young master. I feel like I’ve become the head of a thief or something, but let’s put that aside for now.
“A criminal, I see.”
“Oh yes, a vicious one. He’s kidnapped dozens of children to serve as sacrifices to evil gods, and dealt with knight corpses that came to subdue him, turning all of them into zombies… Quite a dangerous individual.”
“Hehe, that’s a terrible accusation. All my actions are for the noble pursuit of magic, you know. Well, I suppose that’s beyond the comprehension of you mere mortals.”
“So basically, you’re a crazy murderer.”
“How rude, I reshaped the monsters of this dungeon to serve me, didn’t I? In a way, it can be said that I have prevented these monsters from attacking people.”
“And what do you plan to do with this multitude of me?”
“Naturally, securing sacrifices… Hehe, with such a monster army, capturing all the residents of a small village or two will be a piece of cake.”
Truly, a revolting response. Even without the Crusaders, there are such evil people, so society is terrifying.
“I see, I understand well. I won’t interfere with your plans, so let us pass this place.”
“You must be joking. You’re asking me a question when you already know my answer—surround them, my minions!”
Suddenly, the area around us filled with an intense presence of dark magical power. This is… summoning?
He must have prepared summoning circles or catalysts throughout this dungeon in advance. Now the ‘Mikene Ruins’ has become the stronghold of an evil necromancer.
“Whoa, this is—”
“Hey, this is a bit dangerous, isn’t it…”
“Heh, a bunch of weaklings are coming out!”
“There are so many!”
From the front and back of the street, armed undead monsters swarm in groups. They are composed similarly—skeletons, goblins, and orcs. Furthermore, a few large monsters like minotaurs and cyclopes are mixed in as well.
That’s not all; undead archers stand in droves on the rooftops and windowsills of crumbling buildings on either side. There are also gargoyles, aiming enormous bows from the rooftops.
I see, as confident as he is, he’s gathered quite the number of troops. It’s far beyond your average thief. They have a power structure comparable to a small knight corps.
“We’re completely surrounded.”
Turning in the head of this vicious criminal necromancer to the Guild has already become a certainty in my mind. When I asked him to let us go, it was merely to ensure that Simon and the ‘Gunslingers’ could escape safely and to have Spada’s army alerted.
Well, it’s unlikely he would be foolish enough to let us go after revealing his evil ambitions so casually.
“Hehe, what good fortune it is to meet the ‘Black Nightmare Berserker,’ a Rank 5 adventurer, on the very day my undead army is ready… With you as material, I can undoubtedly create the strongest me! A splendid, immortal hero shall be born!!”
So my body is the target. Damn it, wanting me is on the same level as the ‘White Relic.’ It’s becoming increasingly unforgivable—yet, the issue is this completely surrounded situation.
“Urgh… Everyone, get ready.”
“Young master, even so, this number is too overwhelming.”
“Heh, with this weak army, I’ll scatter them with my power!”
“Nyaa! It’s already over for us!”
Even with guns equipped, the difference in numbers is glaring. It’s evident that simply being charged from both sides with that many cannot be contained. Moreover, there are archers positioned on the rooftops. In this open street, we will be easily targeted from above.
No matter how strong I am, protecting everyone while dealing with this many is… truly unrealistic.
“But we have no choice but to do what we can! Older brother, create walls in all directions—”
“No, Simon, there’s something I want to try first.”
The only way for us all to safely get through this situation is by one method alone. I don’t know if it will work, but it’s worth a try.
“Now, my lovely minions! Bring the best material for my berserker to me!!”
At the command, the undead army roared and began to charge forward—just before that, I drew a weapon from the shadows.
“—Sing, ‘Haunted Grave.'”