Matan’s Shooter - Chapter 179

He couldn’t say anything as he looked at Kidd who was scratching his cheek. If he could just keep his mouth open, it would have been fine.

In order to not show his surprise, he knew that he had to maintain a poker face, however, his body did not follow.

“How……?”

“What do you mean how?”

“How can there be a revolver? Revolver- no, wait. Something doesn’t make sense.”

Leeha’s confused head wasn’t in order. After the battle, Leeha saw Kidd tidying up. He took the ‘case’.

“Middle Earth- isn’t it in the 17th century? Doesn’t it look a lot like the 18th century? But a revolver involves a ‘primer’, which means it should have at least ‘mini-ethane’, in addition to the ‘steel wire system’ which must be built?! Isn’t that advanced technology-”

“Are you saying that even after witnessing Luger?”

“-no……”

Kidd shook his head, asking what he was talking about.

Right. It had already been confirmed through Luger that there were gunpowder bullets, rather than simple iron or lead bullets.

Aside from the armor-piercing rounds, it was because he was using the form of a ‘grenade’.

It had to be acknowledged that it went beyond the level of simply using a primer.

“When it comes to advanced technology, Luger’s gun is of advanced technology. [Crimson Geckos] is nothing compared to [Cobalt Blue Python]”

“[Cobalt Blue Python]?”

“That is the name of Luger’s weapon.”

A cobalt blue color that could only be seen in the deepest part of the lake. 

If Kidd’s weapon was ‘Crimson Gecko’, then Luger’s weapon was a ‘Cobalt Python’.

“Right, Luger! Why was it in the musket form when you fought Luger? They looked the same, but every 5 seconds-”

“It’s a skill.”

“Huh?”

“At that time, I had zero mana, and got hit by Luger.”

“Ah…”

Kidd’s explanation was quick, but Leeha could understand how his musket was used. However, if he used the skill, did it feel like the weapons were transformed with the power of ‘advanced technology’?

‘At that time, he couldn’t use the skill because he didn’t have any MP. So, it meant that he could only use it as a normal musket.’

In other words, even though reloading four musket-pistols every 5 seconds was quite surprising to Leeha, from Kidd’s perspective, it was so slow that it could not really be called [Rapid Fire].

Because if he used his skill and changed them into a revolver, he could easily shoot 24 rounds within 5 seconds.

“Then, what about me? What will happen to my weapon? [Black Bess]. Will it also transform when I use a skill?”

“I don’t know either. You’ll find out once you complete the quest. This is the first time I heard the name, Black Bess.”

Kidd nodded with his expression saying yes.

“Cough, I shouldn’t have told you. No, you guys have reptiles…… they’re snake-related names, why is mine, Bess? I thought it was Bess from Elizabeth…”

A gecko is a lizard, and a python is a snake. But what about Bess?

The name of a fish?

“Are you asking me?”

“Phew, no. It was frustrating, so I thought about it for a bit.”

Leeha sighed heavily. Right, it was not a question that could be answered by asking Kidd. After he completed the quest, Leeha would hear it from Browless.

However, after seeing Luger and Kidd’s ridiculous skills, he was embarrassed and only spoke little.

‘[Pierce] and [Rapid Fire]……. I wondered how it works, and it’s thanks to ridiculous technology.’

From the technological point of view, it was huge, but in terms of lethality and other aspects, it was nothing short of impossible.

Anyway, this was Middle Earth. It was a game where there were people who could fly in the sky, summon blizzards, drop thunderbolts, and rule over space.

Compared to that, a revolver seemed cute.

‘Was the Three Musketeers like this in the past? Director Browless-’

Leeha remembered the words he spoke in the Academy.

As his business was over, Kidd, who was preparing to leave, and Browless seemed to overlap.

“Ah! Director Browless taught me about assassination, you also know it right?”

“Of course.”

“But you assassinated someone using that revolver?”

As the conversation led to Browless, Kidd’s expression brightened a little. Leeha guessed that he was not the only one who liked the NPC.

“You must be good at basic musket skills, not to mention……. When it comes to assassination, you should have heard of it.”

“What?”

Cough, Kidd cleared his throat.

“If there are no witnesses, it is an assassination.”

“Wow..”

It didn’t make sense for a moment, but as soon as Kidd imitated Browless’s voice, he noticed it. It meant that he shot and killed everyone before reaching the target. What kind of assassination was that?!

‘Well, he’s at least able to handle four revolvers better than Kidd. Even if there are twenty or thirty people, they would not be able to stop him.’

As Leeha’s laugh got louder, Kidd laughed as well.

“Hurry.”

“I will. There are those who use cannons or revolvers, and then there are those who suffer using muskets. My stomach hurts, so I should finish it soon.”

Although he didn’t explicitly say it was a quest, Kidd understood what Leeha meant.

Maybe because they stood shoulder to shoulder, he felt that they were somewhat closer. Kidd’s gentle gaze towards Leeha also played a part.

“Well, I have to go now.”

“Ah! By the way, what about the guns? Will it change? I mean, how did you get the bullets?”

It wasn’t sold in stores. In response to Leeha’s question, Kidd rummaged through his bag.

“……It’s a secret.”

And he pulled out a scroll.

“Wait! Tell me before you go!”

Riip, Kidd decisively tore the scroll. His figure disappeared in an instant.

“He’s treating me like a rival only at times like this. We were laughing just now…… what a terrible guy.”

Leeha grumbled, but it wasn’t that he did not get anything. Didn’t the blacksmith in the capital already check it out?

‘He said I had to go to a dwarf to make a steel wire.’

Dwarves live in the mountains. They had a mole-like ability that enabled them to roam the whole mountain range in search of better minerals and gems.

‘Do they dig the mountain with their hands or with a pickaxe?’ Or use gunpowder.

It was possible that they have the technology to make steel wires, but don’t have the ability to handle gunpowder.

Leeha had a rough outline of what he had to do next.

“Okay, first of all, the quest.”

Let’s finish Elizabeth’s Will! After organizing his thoughts, Leeha looked around and loaded his musket.

Shudder. And opened his mouth while pointing his musket into the air.

“You have been listening, right? I don’t know who you are, but you should come out. Three, two, one!–”

“W-wait, why did you count so quickly?.”

Shwaak, the empty space gradually changed color. Leeha recognized the person.

“……Jacheong-nim?”

“That…… Hello, Ha Leeha-nim.” Jacheong awkwardly bowed.

The strange vibe he felt before. Leeha guessed that it was someone from Hwahong.

He saw Jacheong at the temple, but there’s no way Ram Hwayeon, who was in Dale Castle, would easily miss Leeha.

It must have been Jacheong who hid and chased after him.

‘It’s rather good. He must have heard my conversation with Kidd.’

In addition to that. He must have also seen Kidd’s skill. Leeha lowered his gun, which was directed at Jacheong with a bewildered expression.

“Why were you behind us like that? Whoever sees you might think we are enemies. Don’t you think so?”

“T-that,- haha, I’m sorry. When I heard that Czar had appeared, I tried to rescue Ha Leeha-nim but stopped…”

“Ahh…… rescue, I see. Rescue.” What kind of rescue was it that you were hiding until now?!

 When the word ‘rescue’ was emphasized, Jacheong had an embarrassed expression.

Leeha knew that Jacheong was not an idiot. And that was fortunate.

“What would happen if Ram Hwayeon found out that I caught you like this?”

“Hmm?”

“If I told her that I don’t trust Hwahong and we can no longer be on the same side…… It wouldn’t be good, right?”

When Leeha said it with a sly smile,

Jacheong’s eyes widened.

As Leeha predicted, Jacheong was not stupid. There was no way he would not understand what Leeha’s words meant.

It wasn’t just an issue with strength. What if Ha Leeha, who Ram Hwayeon and Ram Hwajeong were ‘fond of’, thinks badly of Hwahong and distanced himself from them? What if it became Jacheong’s fault?

‘I would become a real X!’

It wasn’t just a problem in Middle Earth. His position in the Ramlong group would also be……!

Jacheong rummaged through his bag and quickly approached Leeha.

“Ha, haha, of course, there’s no way that would be good, Ha Leeha-nim! Ah, is there anything you need? It would be a big deal if Czar came again and disturbed Ha Leeha-nim. For now, there are a few scrolls that could let you return to Dale Castle immediately- and-”

Jacheong took out an item from his bag.

“Hey, what is this…… It’s okay, it’s okay.”

“Haha, please take it. Please take it.”

“Forget it, I don’t need that, keep it.”

“Please, please, please accept it, Ha Leeha-nim.”

Jacheong was almost begging as he held Leeha’s hands.

Leeha quietly refused while saying, ‘you shouldn’t do this’, pretending to refuse, and stuffing it into his bag.

“If you ever need anything- call me whenever you come to Dale Castle.”

“Jacheong-nim is busy. Even if I ask for help, you wouldn’t have the time.”

“What are you talking about? Director- no Ram Hwayeon-nim and other members of Hwahong are grateful to Ha Leeha-nim. I would clear my schedule and come to help.”

As Jacheong said this with a smile, Leeha smiled as well. Alright, good.

“Then I have one request.”

“What? Yes! Tell me!”

Leeha remembered Elizabeth’s quest. There was a hint of how Browless would proceed.

He said he would aim at a target the size of an adult male at a distance of 444m.

It would be good if the target was a monster, but wouldn’t the efficiency improve if it was a ‘real’ target

However, it was impossible to explain all of this to Jacheong.

Although he walked together with Hwahong, they did not share everything. Even more so, it was not a direct conversation with Ram Hwayeon and Ram Hwajeong.

After much deliberation, Leeha’s ‘request’ was quite simple.

“Give me your head.”

“……What?”

“Give me a head, to shoot.”

“What? I understand-”

“Literally. Don’t you like it?” Don’t you like it? What? Leeha could not understand Leeha’s words at all.

Give a head? Shoot? Jacheong moved his head quickly, but the words that followed….

“Hey, if you don’t like it, there’s nothing I can do about it. Is Ram Hwayeon still in Dale Castle?”

When Jacheong tilted his head and did not answer, Leeha’s expression fell. In such a situation, Jacheong only had one choice.

“Ahhh! Ahhhh!! I’ll do it! I will do it! Head or whatever! I will!”

And he realized that his thoughts on Ha Leeha were quite wrong.

He thought he had a lot of talent, but he was kind and stupid, but what the hell was that devilish threat!

(To be continued…)

TL’s Corner:This is an instance of Leeha blackmailing an elderly to get what he wants.